


Walking in the Light

by pharmtechgirl71



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Bad Boyfriends, Depression, F/M, Jealousy, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Mentions of past abuse, Merle isn't a very supportive brother (at first), Pining, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-10 09:53:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 33,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7840180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pharmtechgirl71/pseuds/pharmtechgirl71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Night Stalker". Daryl is improving under the care of his new nurse, Krissy. He is still confused by the hallucination, and why Krissy reminds him so much of Kristin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KrissyG927](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KrissyG927/gifts).



> This is the sequel to "Night Stalker". It picks up one month after Daryl wakes up from his coma/catatonic state. I recommend reading "Night Stalker" to understand what is going on.  
> This is a very short introductory chapter. There is no posting schedule, but I hope to have at least two chapters up each week.   
> Of course, this is a gift for my dear friend, KrissyG927. I hope this one is as good as the last.

Daryl woke to the sun shining brightly through the window of his room. It was the same sun he had seen every morning for the past month and he was more grateful each day for it. He was still improving, little by little, and he hadn't had a nightmare for a week. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom to take a piss and a shower. Breakfast would be ready soon, and he enjoyed going to the dining room; he had friends, and although every one of them were certifiable, he enjoyed their company. 

This morning he sat with Jim and Noah, both men were in his therapy group. Jim was schizophrenic; his wife had him committed after she found him digging graves in their backyard. He told her zombies were coming and she and the kids were going to die. She had gone straight into the house and called the hospital.

Noah had been in a car accident when he was fifteen; the brain damage he suffered had given him the mind of a child. His parents couldn't care for him the way he needed, so they had brought him here seven years ago.

The three men sat eating their breakfast and watching the other patients. There was never a lot of conversation between them; Noah would smile and wave at everyone who came from the cafeteria line, and Jim would mostly mutter to himself. Not all the patients came down for breakfast; Daryl didn't start coming down until a couple of weeks ago. His new nurse, Krissy had encouraged him to do it; she even walked down with him the first couple of times until he felt comfortable. He liked her a lot; she had been good to him. She wasn't Carol, but they were still getting to know each other, so he knew familiarity would come with time. 

She was the one who had taken him outside for the first time; the one who held his hand as he took those first steps back out into the sunshine he had lived under during his tumultuous childhood. He could still remember clearly the life he had before, or rather the life he thought he had before, and he knew that she was not Kristin. That didn't keep him from thinking of her in that way though. Kristin had been the only part of his hallucination that he missed.

After breakfast, Daryl returned to his room to wait for Krissy's daily visit. Whenever she worked days, she did a split shift; eight in the morning to eight at night. She never failed to visit him throughout the day, whenever she had time. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, looking out the window when he heard her sweet voice.

"Good morning Daryl! How do you feel today?" She was wearing her trademark turquoise scrubs and her long, red hair was up in a butterfly clip. He turned to look at her and sighed lightly.

"I feel okay so far. I went downstairs for breakfast, which sucked by the way, but everything is good."

"I'm glad you're still going downstairs for breakfast. It's good for you to socialize as much as you feel comfortable with. Do you want to take a walk now, or would you like to do something else today?"

"I'd love to take a walk. Do you think we could go a little further this time?"

"Are you trying to find a way to escape?" she asked sarcastically. "I know you'd love to get out of here, but I'd miss you a lot Daryl. I don't think I can be an accessory to that."

"I doubt you'd miss my crazy ass; it would probably make your job a lot less stressful if I was gone." He rarely vocalized his self-deprivation, but it was always in his head.

Krissy sat next to him on the bed. "Daryl, I have told you before that you are my favorite patient. Seeing you every day makes me feel good about what I do. So many of the people here don't want to get better; they don't want to leave the hospital and have a life of their own. I respect you so much Daryl. What you've been through should have made you a raving lunatic, but it didn't. You had a lot of bad shit to deal with and you came out the other side intact. That deserves respect."

"But, I'm not intact. I'm so broken most of the pieces are missing. I couldn't live outside this hospital anymore." He looked so dejected when he said that; it made Krissy's heart ache. 

She hadn't lied to him; he was her favorite patient. He was kind, thoughtful, funny, and extremely handsome. If circumstances were different, she could see them together. Krissy tried very hard to keep his spirits up; she always let him tell her all his hunting stories over and over again. He enjoyed reliving those memories and she loved seeing the bright smile on his face whenever he would revisit that time in his life.

His brother was another story. She still remembered the first day Merle had come to see him after he woke from the coma. He had been rude, vulgar, and confrontational with the whole staff; blaming them for Daryl's condition. He believed that there was nothing wrong with his brother; he believed that Daryl had started this whole shit storm because he wanted attention, then everybody took him seriously and fed him sympathy and sedatives, and now there was no way out. He always threatened his brother with revealing that he faked the whole thing to get out of a death sentence, and when it threw Daryl into a fit, Merle was escorted out. Krissy had talked to Daryl's psychiatrist, Andrea, about it and the doctor had told her that Daryl didn't want Merle banned from the hospital. Merle was his only living blood relative and he wouldn't let anyone keep them apart. 

"Daryl, no pieces are ever so lost that they can't be found again, but even if they were, we can replace them with better parts. Now let's go for a walk and see how far we can get."


	2. Group Therapy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An introduction to Daryl's therapy group, and he meets Krissy's boyfriend.

The walk with Krissy was calming, and made him smile, as it always did; it was his favorite part of the day. They had talked about what was going on with the other patients, mostly gossip, and how his group and individual therapy sessions were going. Daryl had adamantly refused group therapy at first, citing that his psychosis was no one's business, but Krissy had convinced him, saying that the other members of the group had their own psychosis and they would all fit together just fine.

He was scheduled for a group session later that day, and Daryl was actually looking forward to them now. Although the other patients weren't much for conversation, he enjoyed having other people around. Being alone in his room gave him too much time to think, and when he did that, Kristin, and lately Krissy, was at the forefront of his thoughts. He also started spending time in the rec room. He would read, or watch television, and sometimes he would play cards or checkers with Dale, another member of his group sessions. 

Today's group centered on how to overcome self-doubt brought on by diagnosis. Jim practically took the session over from Andrea, discussing how low he had been knowing his own wife didn't have the strength or the desire to help him through his problems. He cried a couple of times, which made Andrea and Noah cry too. Daryl admitted that although his lowest moment should have been the hallucination, it was the realization that his mind had created such a scenario in the first place that truly took him to rock bottom.

Andrea took that opportunity to ask Daryl if he had any nightmares since their last session or if he had been having any flashbacks of that experience. He denied both, not wanting to discuss his memories with the other patients; he would leave that to his private sessions only.

Later that evening, Daryl went outside to enjoy the sunset and a smoke. He was only allowed to partake in his habit outside on the grounds as long as he didn't bother anyone. He thought about the session he had earlier and wondered why he had even spoke up. Krissy had inspired him to share more with the group in case someone else could relate in some way and perhaps give him encouragement. It didn't always work, but he had found that telling people what was going on in his mind sometimes helped them.

He also thought about Krissy and how much she reminded him of Kristin. They both had beautiful, long red hair, and Krissy always wore turquoise scrubs, which he remembered was Kristin's favorite color. He knew Kristin wasn't real; she never had been, but his mind had created her specifically. It had given her all the traits he deemed necessary in the woman he would love. She was kind, thoughtful, smart, and her beauty was staggering. He had called Krissy by the other woman's name many times after he woke up, but she never corrected him. Daryl had shared a little of the story with her, but he had not gone into much detail as to not scare her away.

Daryl was deep in thought and on his third cigarette when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. Startled, he turned around quickly to see Krissy standing there with a man he didn't recognize.

"Hi Daryl," she said sweetly and sat on the bench next to him. "My shift is over and I just came to say goodnight. How did group go?"

"Same as always. Jim ended up crying twice, which made Noah cry. Apparently it was a pretty sad session," he said sarcastically. She smiled at him, knowing he was being sarcastic and not mean.

"Maybe a cry would do you good Daryl. It always helps me when I feel overwhelmed," she replied and patted his knee.

"Yeah . . . I don't think so." He looked up at the other man who was now standing behind Krissy with his hands on her shoulders. 

"Oh, before I forget, this is my boyfriend, Gareth. Gareth, this is Daryl, my favorite patient."

The man extended his arm and Daryl shook his hand tentatively. "It's nice to meet you Daryl," he said smiling.

That smile set something off in Daryl's head, but he put it aside until his private session with Andrea. "Nice to meet you too. Y'all going out on a date?"

"He's taking me to the new Tai place on Cheyenne Avenue. I've wanted to go since they opened and this was the soonest we could get a reservation."

"Well, you two have a good time. I'll see you tomorrow, right?" He asked, as he did every time her shift ended.

"Of course, Daryl. You sleep well and I'll see you first thing in the morning." He watched them walk back inside with a heavy heart. After meeting Gareth, he started to worry that he was having another hallucination.


	3. The Power of Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Merle comes for a visit, and Daryl and Krissy take a walk.

The next morning, Daryl woke up to commotion in the hallway outside his room. He rolled over and groaned in frustration when he heard his brother's voice above all the rest. "You can't stop me from seeing my brother!" Merle yelled so the whole floor could hear him.

"Mr. Dixon! I can have you arrested for disturbing the peace and causing a riot. Some of these patients can be very volatile if provoked, and if you don't calm down and get yourself together, I will have you banned from this hospital for life." Daryl didn't recognize the second voice, but assumed it was someone with a bit of authority.

He got out of bed and put on the sleep pants that were draped across the chair. Sticking his head out the door, he yelled at his brother. "Shut up Merle! Get your ass in here and stop harassing everybody." Merle pushed past the administrator and the nurse and went into Daryl's room.

"So, how you doing this morning baby brother?" He asked, smiling about his triumph over the system.

"I was sleeping just fine until your loud mouth woke me up. Why the hell you gotta do that shit Merle? What the hell are you trying to accomplish? "

"They all look at me like I'm crazy." He replied.

"That's because you are crazy Merle. Sometimes I think you're crazier than I am. If you don't stop that shit, they ain't gonna let you come see me no more, you moron."

"They can't keep me from seeing my baby brother. I'll take 'em to court."

Daryl took clothes out of his drawer and sat on the bed. "You ain't got enough money to sue a goddamn hospital. Why you always gotta talk outta your ass like that? Can't you fucking be civil? Half the time I think you don't come here to see me; you come here to show your ass off."

"Now that ain't true brother. I'm bringing you some good news this morning."

"I can't wait to hear this," Daryl said under his breath. "What is it?"

"Ole Merle got himself a legitimate job."

"No way. Someone hired your worthless ass? Who'd be stupid enough to do that?"

"Last week I ran into one of my old Army buddies, Abraham. He's a construction foreman and said they're getting ready to start this new project. He put in a good word with his boss and I got the call last night."

"That's great Merle. I'm happy for you, and proud of ya. When do ya start?"

"Next Monday; I'll have to get used to going to bed and waking up early, but I think I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can. Listen, I gotta take a shower and get ready to go down for breakfast, but can I ask you something before you leave?"

"Sure brother; what do you need?"

"I was wondering if you'd talk to Dr. Harrison about getting me a day pass. I thought we could spend some time together, maybe do something fun."

“You know I hate that bitch, right?"

"Yeah Merle; she hates you too, but I need to get out of here, just for a day. Please?"

Merle frowned at his brother. "Alright, I'll talk to her, but you know you don't belong here in the first place. You could walk outta here anytime if you want to."

"No I can't Merle. I’m sick and I can't live out there on my own. I need to be here, whether you think so or not." He grabbed his clothes and walked to the bathroom. "Just do it Merle; do something nice for me for once."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Merle's visit had made Daryl late for breakfast and he found himself at the back of a very small line. The cafeteria was busy and there wasn't a place for him to sit, until he saw Krissy at a small table in the back by herself. "Can I sit here?" he asked. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Of course Daryl. I figured you would have been here and gone already. Did you get a late start this morning?" Krissy asked as Daryl sat across from her.

"Yeah, Merle came to visit; woke me up. I'm surprised you didn't hear him screaming and bitching."

"Glad I missed it," she replied, a hint of sympathy in her voice. "What did he want this early in the morning?"

"He said he had some good news; got a job."

"That's great! What kind of job?"

"Construction; one of his old Army buddies is a foreman and helped him out. I'm happy for him; maybe this'll be a good thing. He won't have as much time to come here and harass everybody."

Krissy laid her hand on top of Daryl's. "He loves you Daryl; he doesn't know how to show it, but he does. He doesn't know how to deal with your illness and pretends that it doesn't exist to make himself feel better. He thinks of himself as your protector and if you're in here, that means he failed you. He acts out like a child against those of us who take care of you because he thinks he should be the one doing it."

"Maybe he needs to talk to Dr. Harrison about his issues," Daryl laughed. 

"I think everyone needs someone to talk to every now and then. We all have issues or things we'd like to change about ourselves or our lives, and it's good to get some advice sometimes."

Daryl looked into her eyes as she spoke and got the feeling that she needed someone to talk to. "Are you okay? Did you guys have fun last night?"

"As much fun as could be expected, I guess. The restaurant was beautiful and the food was delicious."

"Then why do you look so sad?" Daryl asked.

"It's nothing; nothing that I'm not used to, anyway. Do you want to go for a walk? I could use some fresh air before I start my rounds."

"Yeah, of course. I love our walks. Maybe you can tell me why you're so sad. I'm not the kinda person that can give quality advice, but I'm a good listener; if that means anything."

"It means a lot Daryl, thank you." Krissy patted his hand again and Daryl looked down at it. Her touch felt warm and comforting; he felt compassion for her and wanted to do something to make her smile again.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

They remained silent until the distance between them and the hospital was enough to ensure privacy. A couple of days ago, they found a dirt walking trail that wound through the wooded area, and when they reached the trailhead, Krissy shared the events of the previous night. "He didn't want to go last night; he doesn't like to go out. I stopped suggesting it a few months ago because, even when we did go somewhere, he always ruined it somehow."

"Is he mean to you?" Daryl asked defensively. He didn't like the guy when he met him; he associated Krissy's boyfriend with the Gareth that had been in his hallucination, but if the real Gareth did one thing to hurt his friend, he would kill him.

"He's not physically abusive, he just doesn't pull any punches as far as his words are concerned. He's very straight forward about how he feels and doesn't care how his words hurt other people."

"How long have you been with him?" 

"A little over a year; we moved in together four months ago. Things started going south after that. He thinks I'm weak because what he says bothers me. He says I should be strong enough to handle the truth about myself."

Daryl didn't like the context of what he was hearing. "What kind of truth?"

"I'm too sensitive, which means I'm weak and emotional and can't handle life. I'm incapable of doing anything on my own, I want people to feel sorry for me and take care of me, blah, blah, blah."

Daryl stopped abruptly and turned to look at Krissy. "He says that shit about you; to your face?"

"He doesn't say those exact words, which means that he can deny it when I confront him. I know he doesn't love me, but he won't come out and say it. He and I have had some pretty good days together; we have a lot of fun when his arrogance doesn't get in the way. I'm just not good enough for him and he won't let me forget it."

Daryl was stunned, and raised his voice to her. "Why in the hell would you stay with a fucker like that? He says those things to bring you down, make it easier to manipulate you, and you let him do it? I hope to God you don't believe that shit. You need to let him go, good days or not. He ain't nearly good enough for you." Daryl was a little surprised at what he said and how he had said it. "Shit Krissy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you like that, but I don't understand why you would waste your life with someone who doesn't love you. You deserve better than that. I don't understand."

"When I first met Gareth, he gave me the impression that he cared about me. He brought me flowers, said sweet things, and made me feel good about who I am. I thought I had found someone who I could trust and who trusted me too. Once we were living together, he changed; I've stayed because I don't have anywhere to go. I gave up my apartment and I can't afford to move again."

Daryl sighed in frustration. "You deserve better than that. You deserve someone who treats you like a queen."

"You don't really know me Daryl. You don't know what I deserve. I probably shouldn't be telling you any of this; it breaks professional boundaries."

"Hey, we're friends, aren't we? You've helped me so much since I woke up. You encouraged me, listened to me; doing the same for you is the least I can do. You can always talk to me. I just wish I could help you."

"Thank you Daryl. I do consider you a friend, not just a patient. You're a very special man, and I'm glad I've gotten to know you." She got on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Do we have time to finish our walk, or do you have to go see Dr. Harrison?"

Daryl was stunned speechless; he could feel his cheek burn where her lips had been. "I don't see her until this afternoon. We got time." He replied nervously.

"Good, let's go." She started walking away and he watched her for a few beats before he ran to catch up.


	4. A New Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl has a private session with Dr. Harrison, and meets a new patient.

Chapter Four- A New Friend

 

Daryl knocked on Dr. Harrison's door twenty minutes before their appointment time. It had been a very trying morning and he was anxious; he needed to talk to the doctor and calm his mind. Andrea opened the door to find a very fidgety man on the other side. "Daryl, you're early. Is something wrong?" She opened the door and let him in; he sat in his designated chair and started biting his thumbnail.

"It's been a bad morning, doc. I think I'm starting to lose it again." Andrea sat at her desk and took out her notepad.

"Tell me what happened; don't leave out any details." She told him.

"I'm sure you heard, but Merle showed up this morning. Everybody heard Merle this morning."

"Yes, I heard. I wasn't here, but I heard about it from the administrator. He's going to have your brother banned from the premises."

"Fuck!" Daryl exclaimed. "Merle's an asshole, but he's the only family I got. I need him Dr. Harrison."

"I know how important your relationship with Merle is, but I also know how toxic it is. He's not good for you Daryl. He does nothing but exacerbate your negative feelings and fill everyone around him with aggression. I have to say, it might be good for both of you to have some time apart."

"You can't be serious! I know he needs me as much as I need him. I can talk to him; maybe convince him to see a doctor or therapist. You can't let this happen Dr. Harrison." Daryl's frustration and anxiety were growing and Andrea did her best to calm him down.

"Daryl listen, I can talk to the administrator. I'll tell him how important it is that you have access to your brother. Perhaps he would allow visits on the grounds outside the hospital building, as long as they were supervised from a distance."

Daryl's eyes brightened. "You'd do that for me? Thank you Dr. Harrison. I know Merle doesn't know how to deal with any of this; he's not that understanding about certain things."

"I know he's not. I'll speak to him; offer to listen if he wants or needs to talk about anything. I would like for you to have a good relationship with each other. Has anything else happened today?"

Daryl was calm again, and remembered his walk with Krissy earlier. "Yeah, Krissy and I went for a walk this morning after breakfast. I met her boyfriend yesterday; his fucking name is Gareth. Can you believe that shit? I don't like him; he smiled just like he did in my hallucination."

"You know this is a coincidence; this man is not the same man you imagined."

"I know that, I do, but it's so surreal. The fact that he's dating the woman that is the exact image of Kristin; that's hard to ignore. Anyway, she looked real sad this morning so I asked what was wrong. He treats her like shit, Dr. Harrison. I know she's not supposed to tell me things like this, but he talks about her like dog to her face. He doesn't love her and makes her feel like she's the one that does everything wrong."

"That's horrible, Daryl. She actually told you that?"

"She said a lot of things Dr. Harrison, and I don't want to get her in trouble, so I probably shouldn't tell you. Besides, I think she told me because she trusts me. I don't want to let her down."

"That's very admirable, Daryl. You're a good friend, and I know it makes you feel good to know she trusts you so much."

"Yeah, I guess it does. No one's ever trusted me before; I didn't think about it that way."

"Just keep her secret, and I won't tell anyone what you've told me. I don't want her to get in trouble either; I think she's been very good for your recovery."

"I wouldn't be going to the cafeteria or participating in groups if it wasn't for her. She encouraged me to do all that. I wish I could do something to encourage her too."

Andrea sighed. Daryl's enthusiasm for Krissy was good, in a way. He was getting involved with other people; making friends, making progress, but it was also troubling. He hadn't fully recovered from the hallucination and perhaps the doppelgänger's presence was too much for him. 

"You know that there will never be anything between the two of you other than friendship, right Daryl?"

Daryl became angry and sat straight in his chair. "I know that! I know that no woman will ever want me that way. I had that once and that bastard took it away from me; I will never have it again. Maybe I should start staying in my room all day, huh? Maybe I should keep myself locked up again so there won’t be people around to remind me that I’m going to be alone the rest of my life." He stood up and started to leave.

"Daryl I didn't mean to upset you. Please sit down; we still have time left."

"No, this bullshit isn't doing me any good. All you do is try to make me think things can be better when I'll never know anything better than what I got right now, and that's absolutely nothing." He let the door slam behind him and walked toward his room.

Andrea sat back in her chair, exasperated. She needed to get Daryl's mind off his pretty nurse and on to something more positive, but she had no fucking idea what that would be.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl tried to relax and calm himself, but peace wouldn't come. He paced and slammed his head and fists into the wall, but none of it kept what Dr. Harrison said out of his mind. He sat on the side of his bed and looked out the window. He remembered the first week with his new nurse, and how kind and supportive she was. He tried so hard to separate her from the vision of Kristin that was still in his head, and thought that he had been successful. He realized that Krissy was her own person; looking back on his hallucination, even though she had shown him kindness, Kristin had regarded him with apprehension. Krissy had never done that; she had never been nervous around him, or shied away from him. She took time out of her day to seek him out and talk to him; she was the one who had initiated their daily walks outside and encouraged him to interact with the other residents. He had come so far, and in only a month had made new friends and had a smile on his face nearly every morning.

He didn't deny it, at least to himself. He wished Krissy could love him like he loved her; he wanted to be the one that made her feel safe and loved. But he knew it would never happen; he knew that Krissy could never see him as anything more than a mentally ill man who is unable to live on his own. Even if she would be able to look at him as a real man, or a potential lover, she would lose her job if they became involved, and he didn't want that to happen.

Eventually, he left his room and went to the rec area. Dale and Jim were playing cards, so he pulled up a chair and joined them. Poker wasn't allowed, so they mainly played spades or war. After an hour of playing, Daryl became bored and went to sit on the couch to watch tv. He surfed through the channels until he found some old Bugs Bunny cartoons. He relaxed into the cushions and enjoyed some mindless entertainment, but was startled when the rec room door opened and Dr. Harrison walked in. "I need your attention everyone. We have a new resident that I would like to introduce." A woman came into the room, dressed as the other patients. "This is Madeline Murphy, she's a transfer from West Georgia. Please make her feel welcome."

It wasn't unusual to have a woman on the floor. The female patients lived on the floor below and were allowed to come upstairs to use the rec room and for their group and private sessions with Dr. Harrison. Daryl looked her up and down and thought she was very pretty; she had shoulder length blonde hair and couldn't have been much over five feet five. The woman stood there for a while after Dr. Harrison left, looking around at all the options available to her. She eyed the craft area and the stacks of books and games on the table. Finally, she settled on the couch on the opposite end of Daryl and watched tv. He turned his head to look at her and decided that he would show her some kindness and introduce himself.

"Uh, hi. My name's Daryl." He said as he scooted closer to her. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Hi Daryl. It's nice to meet you." She looked back at the television. "Do you like Bugs Bunny, or is there nothing else on?"

He laughed. "I do like Bugs, but no, there's nothing else on. Did Dr. Harrison take you on a tour?"

"A small one. She said we could finish it tomorrow. It was important that I find the rec room so I'd have something to do until dinner."

"I could show you around, there's really not much to see though. Your room, the cafeteria, and the rec room are pretty much the highlights."

"I imagine that's true," she replied. "She didn't show me the cafeteria though. I'll need to know where that is."

"I'll show ya," he said. They both went back to watching the tv in silence until the sun started to set. Everyone started getting up and putting away their games and cards, and Daryl turned the tv of. "It's dinner time, everybody tries to get their early to be at the front of the line; let's go." She went with him and the other's down to the cafeteria on the first floor, and sat with Daryl at a table by the door. 

"So, what's this place like? The staff, the patients; what are they like?" Madeline asked him.

"Everybody's great. The staff is real nice, real professional. The patients are crazy though." They laughed, and Madeline was starting to feel less anxious about her new home. The hospital she had come from had been closed down due to local government budget cuts, and all the patients had been scattered. She liked Daryl; he seemed very nice and friendly, and she wanted to know more about him.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how long have you been here?" Madeline didn't look at Daryl when she spoke; sometimes, patients didn't like talking about it, and she hoped he wouldn't be angry at her for asking.

"You mean this time, or all together? I first came here when I was eighteen and spent three years, then I was out for a while and was brought back for a year, and this last time it's been about three and a half years I guess. So, almost nine years total; over half my adult life." Madeline was grateful that Daryl wasn't upset and seemed more than happy to talk to her about a variety of things.

Krissy walked into the cafeteria before she was scheduled to leave. She had been looking for Daryl so she could say goodnight to him before going home. She came through the back door and stood there looking around. Usually he would sit in the back with some of the members of his group, but he wasn't with them. She finally found him up front by the entrance, sitting with a woman she had never seen before. She knew there was a new patient coming in today, but hadn't had the pleasure of meeting her yet; she hadn't been told that it was a woman, not that it mattered to Krissy. Daryl looked very happy talking and laughing with the woman, and the woman looked equally happy; laughing and smiling with Daryl. Krissy decided not to disturb them; she was sure she would meet the woman tomorrow and left the cafeteria to go to her car. She was glad to see that Daryl had made a friend of the new patient, but felt a pang of jealousy toward a woman she didn't even know.


	5. Krissy's Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krissy comes home to a mess and does some reflecting. Madeline meets the group.

Krissy was exhausted by the time she got home. She saw Gareth's Prius parked in front of the apartment and knew something was wrong; he should still be at work. As she stood in front of the door, she could hear him cursing, screaming, and throwing things. She knew better than to walk in on that; she knew that she should get back in her car and leave, but she didn't. She really didn't have anywhere to go, and she was so tired, so she put her key in the lock and walked through in. He didn't even notice she was there; she watched him go from room to room, cursing and hitting the walls with his bare fists. She stayed quiet, and moved to the corner of the room hoping he wouldn't see her. He had never hit her, and she was sure that he never would; that wasn't his thing. Yelling and cursing and throwing things was his “thing”. He came into the room like a tornado and grabbed his keys. Looking around he spotted her in the corner. "What the hell are you doing standing in the goddamn corner?"

She stepped out delicately. "I didn't want to get in your way. What happened?"

"I lost my goddamn job, that's what happened. Someone told management I was taking from the till."

"What!" Krissy exclaimed. Gareth was a lot of things, but a thief wasn't one of them. "I can't believe that! Someone is setting you up."

"And I'm gonna find the son of a bitch that did it!" He took two large strides toward her and grabbed her face. He shoved his tongue down her throat without any thought, causing her to gag slightly by surprise. "I ain't coming back until I find that motherfucker." He stomped toward the door and slung it open.

"What are you going to do when you find him? Don't do anything stupid."

He looked at her at smiled. "What am I gonna do? I'm gonna throw a goddamn bar-b-que." He slammed the door behind him, knocking trinkets and pictures on the floor. Krissy finally remembered to breathe, and sat on the couch staring into space. There was no way to know when he would be back, but she knew it wouldn't be anytime soon. She wasn't bothered by the fact that he had lost his job; she really couldn't care less. What did bother her was that until he found something else, and God knew how long that would be, his ass would be parked on the couch; in his underwear, watching tv, and eating Funyons. He would get defensive if she asked if he had been looking, and tell her she thought she was better than him because she brought in all the money. Just the thought of that shit made her groan out loud. 

Finally, she got her own ass off the couch and poured a glass of wine, then ordered her favorite pizza. As she nursed her drink she thought back to what she had told Daryl on their walk this morning. She didn't completely regret telling him about her relationship with Gareth; she desperately needed someone to confide in and she trusted him to not say anything about what she had told him. His reaction had startled her; she didn't expect him to come to her defense the way he had. If she could have influenced that moment, Gareth would have been there and Daryl would have knocked him into next week, but just knowing that he was upset by the way she was being treated was enough for now. Daryl was a wonderful man, so kind, understanding, and thoughtful. He always asked her how she was doing and wanted to hear about her day. He would make an amazing husband someday, if he were allowed to. The ringing doorbell jarred her from her thoughts and she made her way to the door. The cute little Asian guy who always delivered to her stood in the hallway. He handed her the pizza and took her money; she always paid enough for him to have a nice tip. He thanked her and left. 

Krissy collapsed back onto the couch with her wine and pizza; she was very grateful that Gareth was gone, even though she knew he would be back. She cherished every moment of solitude she could get and used her brief time to reflect. She thought about Daryl's reaction to the things she had told him. He had been angered by the things Gareth had said and done to her. It made her heart swell, but she knew she had to keep herself in check. Her position at the hospital could be in danger if she allowed anything more that friendship to happen between them. She was sure he wouldn't be interested in her anyway; she reminded him too much of the other woman, the one from his coma state. Every day she wished that he wouldn't be reminded of the woman he had loved in his dream; he had worked so hard to come back from it and she wanted him to make a full recovery.

Seeing him with the new patient made her feel something, and it was beginning to worry her. It couldn't be jealousy, she wasn't in love with him, but they were friends. She would be happy to share his friendship, as long as this woman treated him the way he deserved, but that didn't make this feeling go away. She wondered what they had been talking about. It looked as if they were having a good conversation; his eyes were on her at all times. It startled Krissy when he burst out laughing. It isn't as though she had never seen him laugh, but not like he had with the new patient. She placed the pizza box and her wine glass on the coffee table and laid down thinking about how Daryl's eyes sparkled when he laughed. 

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The next morning, Daryl woke up early; he wanted to get downstairs in time to see Krissy. She hadn't stopped to see him before she left last night and he was worried that something bad had happened. There were very few people in the cafeteria at that hour; mostly doctors and nurses, and definitely no one from his group yet. He went through the non-existent line and saw her sitting alone as he came out the other side. "Morning Krissy. Can I sit with you?"

She looked up and saw those bright blue eyes that she had seen in her dreams last night. "Sure Daryl; have a seat." He settled in and smiled as he shoved eggs into his mouth. "You're up early this morning," she said. "Special day today?"

"Not really. It's just that I didn't see you before you left yesterday, and I was kinda worried. Just wanted to make sure you 're okay."

"That's very sweet Daryl, but everything is fine. I came to say goodbye, but you were having dinner with the new patient. I didn't want to disturb you; it looked like you were having a good time."

"You wouldn't have disturbed us. She was telling me stories from where she was before, and I was telling her stories from here. She seems nice. I think I'm gonna be her friend, 'cause ya know, she don't have any here yet."

"That's very thoughtful of you Daryl. You're a wonderful man." He blushed at her compliment.

"I ain't that great. I just know how it feels to be lost in a place you don't know anything about; I want to help her adjust." Daryl watched the nurse for a minute; he knew something was wrong. He wondered if it had to do with her asshat boyfriend. "You want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Sure Daryl. I always love taking walks with you; it calms me down and helps me get ready for the day." That made Daryl smile.

“I'm glad I can help. You calm me down too, ya know." That made Krissy smile; she reached over and put her hand on Daryl's.

"Well, that makes me happy. It means I'm good at what I do."

Daryl wanted to tell her that she was very good at what she did, but didn't want her to think he was gushing over her; that would probably make her feel uncomfortable. They took their trays to the conveyer belt and walked outside together. They stayed silent until they reached the trail. "I know something is wrong, Krissy. I know you well enough; it's in your eyes. Tell me what happened."

He knew her well enough to look in her eyes and know she was hurting somehow. That caused her heart to skip a beat. "It isn't worth talking about." He shook his head.

"Doesn't matter if you think it ain't worth it; if it's bothering you, you need to get it off your chest." He stopped walking and held her wrist to keep her from walking away. "Plus, I care about you, and I worry about you; tell me."

She saw the worry in his eyes, and knowing she shouldn't do it, she told him about what had happened with Gareth. She could tell he was upset by what she told him, but was trying to stay calm around her. "Did he hurt you?" He asked as placidly as he could.

"No, he just scared me a bit; knocked over a few pictures, a few stupid little knickknacks. That was all; he never even came back home."

"Do you really think he'd do something stupid?" Daryl asked as they started walking again.

"I wouldn't put it past him, but I can't say for sure. If he started drinking, he could be unpredictable, but I haven't heard from him. I don't think I'll see or hear from him until he calms down." 

Daryl grabbed her hand and looked at her intensely. "I really care about you Krissy. Promise me you'll be careful."

"I'll be as careful as I can Daryl, I promise." She loved hearing him say that he cared, but she knew it wasn't in the way she needed him to. "So, tell me about the new patient. I haven't had a chance to meet her yet."

"Her name is Madeline; she transferred from West Georgia after it closed down. I didn't ask what her diagnosis is; that's none of my business, but I offered to show her around and introduce her to everybody." 

"That's so nice of you. You really are a good man. You have a group session today, don't you?"

"Yeah," Daryl replied. "This afternoon. I think I may go back to bed for a while; I didn't sleep much last night. I was worried about ya."

Krissy looked around to make sure no one could see them and stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Thank you Daryl. You don't have to lose sleep over me, but it's nice to know you care."

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Daryl met Madeline as she was coming off the elevator and walked with her to therapy. "How was your first night?"

"It was fine; strange being in a new place, but I like my roommate. She's crazier than I am."

"Who’s your roommate?" he asked.

"Her name is Lizzie. I think she's a hoot, as far as crazy goes. Do you know her?"

"I know who she is, but I don't know anything about her. She's not in our therapy group, so I don't see her that much." 

Dale, Noah, and Jim were already sitting in their seats when Daryl and Madeline walked in; everyone was silent as the rest of the group made their way to their seats and waited for Dr. Harrison. The first thing the doctor did when she arrived was introduce Madeline and ask her to say a few words about herself.

The new patient was nervous and stuttered her way through a short introduction. "I'm twenty-seven and I've been institutionalized since I was twenty-three. I was raised in foster homes, and I have depression with a side order of anxiety. I've also tried to kill myself three times." The group was not fazed by what she had told them; they had all either heard it before or experienced it themselves. 

Jim, of course, had a lot to say as always. Noah and Dr. Harrison were the only ones really paying attention to him. Daryl was thinking back to his walk with Krissy; he wanted her to leave Gareth and be with him, but he knew that was impossible for so many reasons. Madeline didn't say a word after her introduction, and no one pressed her to contribute. She would feel comfortable enough to add to the conversation soon. Another member of the group, a young man named Nicholas, kept looking at Madeline. He had Oppositional Defiant Disorder, so Daryl would have to keep a very close eye on him.

When the session was over, Nicholas made his way over to Madeline and Daryl. "It's really nice to meet you Madeline. It's been a long time since we got a new member in group. If you need anything, let me know." Daryl gave the man a heated look, which neither Nicholas or Madeline noticed. 

"Thank you, but Daryl's already offered to take me on a tour and show me everything I need to know. I appreciate it though." Madeline said and reached over to take Daryl's hand in hers. Nicholas looked at Daryl and smiled. 

"Well, if for some reason he can't, you come find me." He replied and walked away.

"You just stick with me," Daryl said as the other man left the room. "You don't need him for nothing."


	6. Daryl's Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets his day pass.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter and hope you do too.

Chapter Six- Daryl’s Day Out

Since the last incident at the hospital, Merle had been on his best behavior every time he came to see Daryl. He hoped that Dr. Harrison would notice and consent to give his brother a day pass so they could spend some time together. She relented, eventually, but had one condition that he had to see through. If he apologized to every nurse, doctor, and general employee of the hospital that he had yelled at, assaulted, or offended, he could take Daryl out for a day; no strings attached. Merle could pretend to be civil, nice and polite, but apologizing was downright beneath him; he did it for Daryl though, and it was okay. He had been banned from the hospital itself, so he wouldn't have to see any of those stupid fuckers ever again.

Merle asked Dr. Harrison to keep it a secret; he wanted to surprise Daryl, and the doctor had arranged everything. She instructed Krissy to take him out the front door when they went for their walk, and it was hard for the nurse to keep him in the dark, because she was so excited for him. "You’re sneaking me outta here, aren't ya?" Daryl asked her, chuckling.

"I'm not exactly sneaking, Daryl." she said as Merle's pick up pulled up in front of them.

"Well howdy baby brother! You ready to go?" Merle said boisterously as he rounded the front of the truck and pulled Daryl into a hug.

"What?" Daryl asked, confused and looking at Krissy.

"Ole Merle finagled you a day pass."

"Are you serious?" He asked. Krissy smiled and nodded her head, then gave him a hug.

"Hell yeah, I'm serious," Merle said as he put his arms around Daryl's neck and dragged him to the truck. As they walked away, he turned his head toward the nurse. "I'll have him back before supper time. Don't you worry."

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"Where we going Merle?" Daryl asked. He had the window rolled down and was looking at the passing sights as the wind blew through his hair.

"The Braves play the Mets at eleven thirty; I got us seats behind the pitcher."

"A baseball game!" Daryl exclaimed loudly. "I ain't never been to a baseball game before."

"I know; I thought it was about time you got to see one. That's supposed to be a good bonding moment, and I thought you'd enjoy it."

"We gotta have a hot dog, and beer, and wouldn't it be great if I caught a foul ball? I gotta get a program, and maybe one of those stupid foam fingers, maybe I could get one of the player’s autographs . . ."

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down or your gonna pass out. We'll get all that stuff, don't you worry. I'll get you whatever you want, little brother. I want you to have a good time and enjoy your time away from that shithole."

"It ain't a shithole, Merle. It's my home, and I got friends there."

"Alright, I'm sorry. I still don't think you need to be there. Those people are filling your head with all kinds of nonsense."

"You know why I'm there Merle," Daryl said solemnly. "That shit fucked me up. I still think about it, ya know."

"I know baby brother." Merle really did know; he wouldn't have wished those events on his worst enemy, and his baby brother had been living with it for almost twenty years. "Let's just have fun and eat all the hot dogs and drink all the beer we can before I have to take ya back."

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Daryl started getting a little nervous as he and Merle stood in the entry line to the ballpark. In his anticipation of having a day out, he had forgotten that he would be surrounded by strangers, but Merle kept putting his arm around his shoulder and hugging him close, like a good brother would. Regardless of his anxiety, Daryl had a blast. The first thing they did was get the hot dogs and beer, then once they were settled in their seats, Merle went out and got a program and a foam finger for Daryl. 

The brothers laughed and cheered, Merle hit on every woman he saw, and Daryl soon figured out that if he focused on his brother, or what was happening on the field, he would be okay. He stood and cheered for every hit, every home run, and every out made by the home team; he had never had an experience like this and he savored every minute of it. He felt like a kid; the way a kid should feel anyway, and stood proud and sang his lungs out at the seventh inning stretch. When the game was over, and the Braves were victorious, Merle ushered him down the steps to the area behind the home dugout where people were clamoring for autographs. 

Daryl began to get nervous again standing so close to all the other kids and adults waiting patiently for autographs. Finally, when it was his turn up, he received five autographs, and told each player what a great game it was. On their way out, Merle pulled him into the sports shop, which sold souvenirs and shirts; he walked out with a t-shirt, and a red, plastic mini bat with the Braves logo on it. "Are ya taking me back now?" Daryl asked as they got in Merle's truck. He spoke with a hint of sadness that his adventure was over.

"Not yet; I got you till supper time. I know we ate our fill already, but I thought we'd stop at Giovanni's and have a pizza; you remember that place?"

Daryl did indeed remember. When he was just a young boy, before Merle had vanished from his life the first time, he would take Daryl there for pizza on days he had some money. Usually he stole it from their daddy's stash, and one or both of them would eventually suffer for it, but it never diminished the memories spent together eating pizza, drinking Coke and being brothers. "Yeah, I remember Giovanni's. That place is still there? Is the pizza still as good?"

"Yep, it sure is. Marge is still working there too; one of these days there gonna have to push her out in a wheelchair." Marge had been working at Giovanni's since before Merle was born, and still waiting tables like a pro. 

"Thank you for doing all this for me. This is the best day I've ever had in my whole life." Daryl was a little overwhelmed by his emotions, and the fact that it was Merle who had given all of this to him, choked him up a bit.

"I've had a good time too Daryl. Maybe I can talk to your doctor and we can do this on the regular; maybe once a month or something." 

"Ya mean it Merle? 'Cause I'd really like that; not just getting out of the hospital, but spending time with you too. You're all I got left and I don't want to lose you."

"You ain't gonna lose me, baby brother. Now that I got steady, good paying, legal employment I'm gonna be a better brother, I promise. I'm gonna be there when you need me."

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Giovanni's was packed to the brim, but Daryl spied the old table by the window where he and Merle would always sit, and it was empty. He grabbed his brother's hand and ran to it before anyone else could snag it. "You don't forget a thing, do ya?" Merle asked him as they sat down.

"Not when it comes to this, I don't. Can we get the same thing we use to?" Daryl asked.

"Sure," Merle replied, and a waitress came up to their table. "We'll have a large pepperoni with hamburger, onions, and peppers; and two Cokes please." Once the waitress left, Merle decided to use this time to learn more about the brother he had been away from for so long. "So, what do you do up there at the hospital all day?"

Daryl shrugged. "Lots of stuff. I try to spend as much time outside as I can. They have yoga and exercise classes for the ones that aren’t considered a flight risk or don't get violent or agitated. I took one of those last week; it really helps calm ya down and focus. Uh, they have organized games like bingo, or sometimes board games or card games. There's lots of stuff in the rec room too; stuff like fooze ball and a ping pong table; there's lots of books to read, books to color in; they use that as therapy sometimes. And Krissy and I go for a walk every morning."

Merle's eyes lit up at the mention of a woman. "Whose Krissy? She a patient?"

"No dumbass; she's my nurse. The pretty redhead who was with me when ya picked me up. You've met her before." Merle had seen her, had even yelled at her at her a time or two, but never bothered to learn her name. 

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed and slapped his hand on the table. "I thought it was funny, her giving you a hug and all. You and her getting some ‘alone time’ during your walks?"

Daryl blushed. "No, she's my nurse, I'm her patient. That shit would get her fired. Besides, she's got a boyfriend, and wouldn't want nothing to do with me anyway."

"And why wouldn't she?" Merle asked as the waitress brought their pizza and a pitcher of Coke to the table. "You may be fucked in the head, but you're still a Dixon, and that means something in the bedroom." He said and wiggled his eyebrows. 

“Merle, I ain't had nobody in my bedroom since . . . " He let his sentence hang; they both knew who he was referring to and her name hung thick in the air like fog over a mountain. Although Daryl still thought about her, he never said her name; fearing that it would bring back the memory it was forever attached to. 

The brothers looked at each other sadly. "I know, Daryl." Merle said quietly and tried to change the subject. "Anything exciting happen around there lately? Anybody get strapped down and shocked?"

Daryl looked at his brother with annoyance. "They don't do that there, Merle. We did get a new patient though; she's in my therapy group."

Merle really wanted to bring attention to the fact that the new patient was a woman, but he didn't. "What do ya know about her?"

"Her name is Madeline and she's twenty-seven. She was in West Georgia until it closed down, now she's here. I can't tell ya much else, privacy and all."

"Well, is she boil your bunny crazy?"

Daryl chuckled. "No, she doesn't seem like it. She's real nice so far; I offered to show her around, introduce her to everybody."

"You're a good man Daryl," Merle said; it reminded Daryl that Krissy had said the exact same thing to him earlier. "Better man than me; all I'd be thinking about was getting in her pants."

Merle paid the tab and they walked back out and got in the truck to go back to the hospital. The ride was fairly quiet; they discussed where they would go on their next outing together. Daryl wanted to go to Six Flags, but Merle quickly vetoed that, citing the fact that they were both too old to keep their lunch down after the roller coaster. When Merle pulled up at the front doors of the hospital, he put his hand on Daryl's shoulder to keep him there a minute longer. 

"I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I know you got friends in there, but I also know that you're lonely. Maybe you should consider this Madeline girl; maybe she wants you to give her more than just a tour of the hospital." Merle winked at him and Daryl inwardly cringed. He knew his brother was concerned about him and meant well, but he could never feel for Madeline what he felt for Krissy.

"Alright Merle, I'll think about it. Thanks for today, brother. I love you."

Merle couldn't say it back, only slapped Daryl on the shoulder and handed him his bag of goodies as he got out of the truck. "I'll come see ya next week," he yelled as he pulled away.

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Krissy was at the nurses' station when Daryl was escorted off the elevator. "So, did you have a good day with your brother?" She asked as she walked with him to his room.

"I had a fucking blast! We went to a baseball game and then to this pizza place we used to go to when we were kids. Then we spent the rest of the day just riding around."

"I haven't been to a baseball game in years. I'd love to hear all about it." Krissy said.

"Alright," he replied and held the door open for her to enter his room. He propped the door open and pulled the chair over against the wall. He then dumped the contents of his bag on the bed. "Look at all the stuff Merle bought me." He felt like Vanna White showing off his prizes. "I got a t-shirt, a foam finger," which he waved in her face, "a mini bat, and a program with five autographs."

"Wow! That's a lot of stuff." She picked up everything and looked at it like it was gold. "You made quite the haul; I'm impressed. Did the Braves win?"

"Yeah they did, by five runs. I actually cheered and yelled, and sang ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ and everything."

"I bet they wouldn't have won if you hadn't been there; I think you were their good luck charm." Daryl's excitement was contagious and Krissy was grinning from ear to ear. 

"I wouldn't go that far, but I wouldn't have cared if they lost. Just being there was enough for me." He sat down on the bed and Krissy sat with him on the other side of his pile. "Then afterwards, he took me to Giovanni's. When I was a kid, he used to steal money from dad's stash and we'd go get pizza."

"Sounds like you had a great time with your brother. I was a little worried that he would aggravate you too much."

Daryl looked at all the stuff and things Merle had bought for him. "He started to, but ended up bringing up some bad memories, so he stepped off." Krissy patted his hand and smiled at him. 

"Well, I bet your pretty tired. You got about an hour before dinner, so I'll let you rest for a while. I'll find you before I leave to say goodnight." She stood from the bed walked toward the door. 

"Hey, wait." Daryl said before she left. He took the mini bat from the small pile and walked up, handing it to her. "I want you to have this."

"I can't take that Daryl; Merle bought that for you." She said and handed it right back.

"Yeah, but I picked it out for you. I had a great time with him today, but I wish that you could have gone with me. I would have loved to spend the day with you out there. Take the bat; then I can pretend that you were there and I bought it for you." He smiled at her brightly, excitement still evident in his sparkling eyes.

"Thank you Daryl," she relented and took the bat. "And just for the record, I would have loved to spend the whole day with you out there too."


	7. The Settler and the Psychopath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madeline surprises Daryl and helps him make a decision,

Chapter Seven- The Settler and the Psychopath

 

Madeline laid awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She was patiently waiting for Lizzie to fall asleep, so she could sneak out. Daryl had been gone all day and she had felt a little lost; that Nicholas guy had been sniffing around her and she had her fill of him. Luckily the old man, Dale, had allowed her to sit with him. They played cards and checkers, and had their meals together. But she knew Daryl was back; she had seen him walking down the hall to his room with that annoying nurse. They were smiling and laughing with each other, and it pissed her off. Madeline knew that red headed floozy wanted Daryl, and she was gonna make sure that the bitch knew who he belonged to. 

When she heard Lizzie's soft snoring, she carefully got out of bed and sneaked into the hallway. Security here wasn't as strict as it had been at West Georgia and she was able to make it to the staircase easily. Once she was on Daryl's floor, she crept quietly down the hallway to his room. They were not allowed to lock their doors, so she walked right in. Daryl was on his right side, facing her; he was sleeping soundly, and looked so peaceful she almost regretted that what she was about to do would wake him up. The beds they were given were only twin size and therefore could only accommodate one person comfortably, but she improvised. Leaning over his still body, she put her lips on his until he began to stir.

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Daryl was having the most beautiful dream; he so rarely had dreams like this and it made him feel warm inside. He was young, much younger than he is now, and he was on his motorcycle. He wasn't wearing a helmet and the wind was blowing through his hair. The sun was bright and the heat warmed his skin as he rode along the two lane highway. He could see her standing along the side of the road waving at him to slow down. As he came to a stop, she rounded the bike and threw her arms around him. Her long, red hair was soft against his cheeks as he held her close. She mumbled words into his ear, but he didn't know what she was saying, and it didn't matter; he knew what was being insinuated because even in his dream, he felt his dick harden at her voice. He swung his leg over the bike and walked with her to the blanket she had on the ground. On top of it was a picnic basket and a cooler with beer and soda. They sat down, close enough that their hips and legs were touching, and when she moved to grab a beer for him, he ran his fingers through her beautiful, thick hair and pulled her lips to his. Daryl laid back onto the blanket and pulled her on top of him, his tongue exploring her hot, wet mouth. 

"That is the most amazing kiss I have ever had," she said as she pulled away from him. He looked up at her and his eyes focused. The long, satin strands of red soon morphed into blonde and he was startled.

"Madeline? What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here." He said as he scooted further up the bed and away from her. 

"I'm sorry," she said, and brushed the back of her hand against Daryl's cheek. "I know you were gone all day and I missed you. I just wanted to thank you for being such a good friend; for showing me around and introducing me to people. It means a lot, being new here and all."

"You could have waited until morning; thanked me at breakfast," he replied, still a little shaken by her presence.

"I know, but I get shy around a lot of people and I wanted to wait until it was just you and me. Will you forgive me?" She offered him a slight smile and batted her eyelashes.

"Yeah, I forgive you, but you better get back to your room before someone finds you're gone."

"Alright, I guess I'll see you in the morning then." She stood from the bed and walked to the door, but before she could open it, Daryl stopped her.

"Um, would you like to go for a walk with me after breakfast? There's a nice little trail that runs around the hospital; not a lot of people go there. It's pretty private."

"I would love to Daryl. Goodnight; I'll see you in the morning."

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Daryl waited by the elevators the next morning for Madeline. Dale, Jim, and Noah had asked him to go down with them, but he politely said no. Dale and Noah had given him broad smiles, knowing who he was waiting for, and Daryl blushed slightly. Once they were gone and he was all alone in the hallway, he thought back to the kiss, and his dream. He truly cherished that dream, whether he was really kissing Krissy or not; it was the image his mind had created, and although his mind created a lot of dark, confusing things, this was something he never wanted to forget. He had been annoyed to find out that the amazing kiss had been with Madeline. He had nothing against the woman, he barely knew her, but that was Krissy's kiss and he was upset that she had taken that from him. 

Then his thoughts wandered to what Merle had told him yesterday. Madeline was his only option if he wanted someone in his life; he could dream and fantasize about Krissy all he wanted, but it wouldn't make her his. He was sure he could be happy with Madeline though, she seemed very nice and was appreciative and grateful for the things he had done for her, and she was very pretty. She wasn't Krissy, and never would be, but if he had to settle for second best, he was sure she would make a fine one. 

After breakfast, Madeline followed Daryl back up to his room; he wanted to change shoes before they went on their walk. Madeline was not pressed for time like Krissy was and he was hoping they could spend more time outside. She waited in the hallway and saw the red headed nurse walking toward her. "Good morning Madeline. How are you?"

"I'm fine; just waiting on Daryl. He's taking me for a walk along the trail this morning."

Krissy was more than a little shocked by the woman's statement. "Really? That's great. It's a wonderful trail. Very beautiful and peaceful."

"That's what Daryl said. Told me it was pretty private too," she winked at Krissy. "Not a lot of people over there."

Krissy gritted her teeth. "That's true," she replied. "Well, enjoy your walk and tell Daryl I said hello."

"I will," Madeline answered as the nurse walked to the end of the hall. When Daryl emerged from his room, he looked confused.

"Were you talking to someone out here?"

"Yeah, that Nicholas guy walked by. He kinda gives me the creeps; he looks at me funny."

"Well, you don't have to worry about him. I won't let him bother ya, I promise. You ready to go?"

"I sure am. I can't wait." Madeline took his outstretched arm and wrapped her own around it. She walked down the hall arm in arm with Daryl, and with a little extra skip to her step.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

"This is a beautiful view Daryl," Madeline exclaimed as she looked at all the flowers planted along the walkway. "Now I know why you like it so much, and why you invited me out for a walk."

Daryl hummed in agreement and walked a few steps ahead of her while she had stopped to smell the flowers. "It isn't as nice as the forest, but it's the closest thing I got." 

"Ooh, the forest. That sounds enchanting." She replied and ran to catch up with him. 

"Not as much as you'd think. I never met any talking woodland creatures, but it's nice, peaceful."

"What did you do out in the forest?"

"I used to hunt when I was younger, before I went bat shit."

"Really! What did you hunt?"

"Whatever crossed my path. Back then it was how I survived. If I wanted to eat, I had to go out and kill it myself."

"Oh my God, Daryl; that sounds horrible."

"Yeah, I don't really want to talk about it." Madeline took his hand and squeezed it lightly.

"Okay, what do you want to talk about?" Daryl wasn't much of a talker, everyone knew that, except for her. There was one thing that had been plaguing his mind though.

"What happened last night, in my room? I was asleep; how did I end up kissing you?"

"Well, like I said, I wanted to thank you, in private. When I noticed you were asleep, I was going to leave, but your hand shot out and grabbed me by the back of the head and you pulled me down and kissed me." She blushed a little for effect. 

That was similar to what had happened with Krissy in his dream. "I'm sorry; did I hurt you?"

"Oh no," she said with over exaggerated sincerity. "I've never been kissed like that before. It was very nice. I liked it."

"Ya did, huh?" He said with false confidence.

"Yeah, I like you a lot Daryl. You're so nice and kind, and your funny, and very handsome."

"You really think all that about me?" He stopped walking and turned to face her.

"I do," she answered. That was all Daryl needed to hear. He cupped her face in his hands and gave her a proper kiss.


	8. The Other Side of the Coin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krissy and Andrea have a talk, and Krissy sees something she wasn't expecting.

Chapter Eight- The Other Side of the Coin

 

Andrea was walking to her office when she passed the nurses' station; she stopped to say 'hi' and noticed that Krissy seemed a little distracted. "Hey, are you alright?" she asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine; just tired. It's been a confusing week and some stress at home. I'll be fine." 

"Are you busy right now? Would you like to come to my office for a minute? I'd like to talk about Daryl."

"Okay, sure. Just give me a minute and I'll be right there." Andrea walked on to her office as Krissy finished filing the charts she had collected and gave instructions to the other nurses. She knocked lightly on Andrea's office door when she arrived and took the seat in front of the desk. 

"You said you wanted to talk about Daryl? Did something happen? Is anything wrong?" Krissy asked.

"No, nothing happened. I only see him during our sessions and just wanted to know how he's doing on a day to day basis. You see him every day, and I know the two of you are close, so I thought you could give me some insight."

"He gets better every day, I think. His attitude toward his therapy and socialization have improved one hundred percent since he woke from the coma. He's very aware of his surroundings; he always knows where he is and what is going on. I know he doubts himself a lot, and his brother doesn't help in that regard, but I think he's accepting of what is going on. He had a great time the other day with Merle; it's all he talked about when he got back. I think it was good for him to get out; he participated with the crowd, cheering and singing. I was so proud of him."

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him about his day with Merle, but that's very encouraging to hear. I think your assessment of him is accurate; I've seen that too. My only concern is that he could fall back into that catatonic state that led to his hallucination."

"He seems so stable now," Krissy said, concerned. "What would cause him to revert back to that stage?"

"Daryl likes you, Krissy. You remind him of the woman in his dream. You look like her and you act like her. I know that the specific care you've given him has been integral to his recovery, and I would never think of separating the two of you; I think his continued improvement has everything to do with the relationship the two of you have, but be aware. Please let me know if his behavior changes, or he says or does anything unusual."

Kissy was flattered to hear Dr. Harrison say those things. She took great pride in her work as a nurse and it always made her feel good to know she was making a difference in her patient's lives. She then thought about Madeline and how quickly she had attached herself to Daryl. The new patient had already replaced her as his walking companion, and insinuated that there was already something private and intimate going on between them. "Can I ask you a question about the new patient, Madeline?"

"Of course, I'll tell you what I can." Andrea answered.

"I've noticed that she and Daryl have gotten pretty close already. They've been having their meals and spending their free time together. This morning, when I went to find him for our morning therapeutic walk, she was waiting for him outside his room. I haven't seen much of her chart, but I get the impression that she's more than the depression and anxiety she admits to. You don't have to tell me what her diagnosis is, but I want to know if I should worry about her getting so close to Daryl."

"I can't say much right now, but I would appreciate it if you would keep your eye on her; both of them really. She may try to manipulate him in some way; she shows a tendency for compulsion and obsession, and Daryl isn't in a place to see that coming. I haven't had a private session with her yet, so I haven't been able to go over her file with her. Has she been behaving strangely?"

Krissy laughed. "Everyone acts strange around here Dr. Harrison, but when I saw her this morning outside Daryl's room, she told me he had asked her to walk with him on the trail we always use. She winked at me and said that he wanted to take her there because it was private."

"I'll speak to both of them during their private sessions." Andrea looked at the clock on the wall and saw that it was almost time for her meeting with the administrator. "I'm meeting with the administrator in fifteen minutes. He's finally agreed to listen to my proposal to try some new therapeutic techniques I've read about."

Krissy stood to leave. "Good luck Dr. Harrison; I hope he approves your proposal."

"Thank you Krissy, and thank you for speaking with me and agreeing to keep your eyes on Daryl and Madeline."

"You're welcome. I'll do anything to keep him from having to go through that again. "

**************************************************************************************************************************************

After lunch, Daryl and Madeline went to the rec room to watch television. They sat so close their thighs touched; Daryl put his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. There was an old World War II film starring John Wayne on one of the local channels and they settled on that. Daryl rubbed his hand over Madeline's shoulder and upper arm and thought about the decision he had made. Dr. Harrison would be glad to know he had found someone to keep his mind off Krissy, and Merle wouldn't think he was lonely and pathetic anymore. He could be happy with this woman; she was pretty, and funny, and she let him kiss her; that was more than he'd had with any another woman since Emily. He didn't know if Madeline could love him, or if he could love her, but it didn't really matter. He didn't have to be alone anymore and that was the most important thing to him right now.

Every now and then, Daryl would kiss the top of her head; he wanted her to know that he liked her too, and hopefully he would be able to convince her to stay with him. They remained sitting together on the couch after the movie was over and waited to see what would be coming up next. The Sons of Katie Elder was the second in what appeared to be a John Wayne double feature. Daryl loved westerns; when he was a kid and his dad wasn't around, he would run around the backyard riding his mom's mop handle like he was the town sheriff. However, Madeline did not appreciate the finer art of the Hollywood western and suggested they do something else. "Alright, I need a smoke. You want to step outside with me?"

"Sure, I could use some fresh air." she replied and they held hands as they walked to Daryl's room to grab his smokes. They stopped by the nurses' station to let them know where they were going and took the elevator downstairs. Daryl walked her to the bench he always sat at and lit his smoke. Taking her hand again, he rubbed circles on the back with his thumb. She smiled sweetly at him and he smiled back. 

"You really are beautiful, Madeline." Daryl said as he took his last drag and crushed his smoke under his shoe; reaching out, he took her face in his hands. "I'm really glad you came here; I don't want to be alone anymore."

"You won't be Daryl, I promise." Madeline told him. He leaned forward and touched her lips softly, caressing them with his tongue. She opened her mouth to him and he deepened the kiss as Krissy watched on from a third story window.


	9. Second Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look at how Daryl and Madeline are getting along. Madeline has a session with Dr. Harrison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one. Forgive any typos.

Chapter Nine- Second Thoughts

 

For a week, Daryl and Madeline had breakfast, took morning walks, and spent every moment they could together; every meal and all their free time devoted to each other. Madeline was as happy as she could be and didn't let an opportunity pass by without telling every person she saw. To her satisfaction, Krissy had stayed away from Daryl; only seeing him in the hallway, and to her knowledge neither had said a word to each other since she had indicated to the nurse that there was something between the two of them. The only time she was away from him was when they had their private sessions with Dr. Harrison, and when they slept at night. She had the man wrapped around her finger and let everyone know it.

Daryl however, wasn't as happy as Madeline was. He appreciated her company, her kind words, and her affection, but he never had a moment alone; not one moment to think for himself, or spend time with his other friends. He and Krissy hadn’t spoken to each other since he started spending his time with Madeline, and he wondered if she was mad at him for some reason. She hadn't come by for their walks, and hadn't been saying goodbye before she left for the day. He missed her so much; missed her voice, her smile, and her encouragement. He would see her in the hallway or at the nurses' station and smile at her, and she always smiled back, but it was a weary smile. She looked unhappy and he hoped that her relationship with Gareth hadn't gotten worse. He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her tight; he wanted to kiss her lips and tell her everything was going to be alright.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The couple walked together to their group session, but Daryl wasn't in the mood for it. He didn't want to be in a room with all those people; he wanted to be with Krissy. He saw her at breakfast that morning sitting alone; she looked sad and he desperately wanted to take her to the trail and go for a walk. He was still a little angry with Dr. Harrison, but he let that go for the most part; there was nothing he could do to change the situation he was in, no matter how badly he wanted to. As they sat in their little circle, Daryl zoned out. He heard Jim and Dale speaking; Dale had a bad day yesterday and had almost wandered off the property thinking he was on his way home from work. Daryl always felt sorry for the old man; he had lost his mind after his wife died of cancer and it had triggered dementia. 

Madeline spent the entire session holding his hand; she told everyone how much she loved it there and how much better of an experience it was than West Georgia. She gave all credit to Daryl and he cringed. He had been happy to help her adjust and learn her way around, and he needed someone to get his mind off Krissy, but that hadn't worked. He thought of her even more now; just looking at Madeline was more of a reminder than anything else that Krissy was no longer a constant in his life. Madeline had a private session with Dr. Harrison after the group meeting, and she kissed Daryl before she left to follow the doctor to her office. He didn't really kiss her back; he was embarrassed in front of everyone else and they teased him about it mercilessly. Noah pointed at him and giggled, and Dale just slapped him on the shoulder and told him to put a ring on her finger before it was too late; that thought made Daryl's insides shiver. He wanted to use this time to look for Krissy and ask her to take a walk with him; he searched and searched, but couldn't find her, so he walked the path alone, thinking about her.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

"Have a seat Madeline," Andrea told her as she sat behind her desk and took out a notepad and her recorder. "I'm so glad to hear you're adjusting well to your new environment, and that you and Daryl have hit it off. He's a good man."

"Thank you Dr. Harrison. Daryl's been great. I don't think I'd feel as comfortable as I do if it weren't for him. He's helped me a lot."

"I understand that the two of you have been spending all your time together. What kind of things have you been up to?" Andrea asked her, very curious to hear the answer. She had been getting reports from Krissy and knew that the two patients had grown close and everyone had seen them kissing at one time or another. Andrea had read Madeline's file front to back at least three times and needed to find out the girl's perspective on her relationship with Daryl.

"We take walks together every morning after breakfast; on the trail that nurse use to take him on. We usually walk for a couple of hours; we hold hands, and sometimes he kisses me." She was smiling like a fourteen-year-old girl who just got her first boyfriend. "We watch tv together, we eat together; we do everything together."

"You sound very happy Madeline. I'm happy for you, but remember if you two spend too much time together, you'll get sick of each other pretty quick. Maybe you should spend some time apart during the day; do your own thing for a while."

"Thank you for your concern Dr. Harrison, but you don't have to worry about that. Daryl and I love each other. He's so good to me; always taking care of me and trying to protect me. I protect him too."

"What do you protect him from?"

"That nurse, you know, the one with the red hair. She's got a thing for him, I know she does. She'd take advantage of him if I didn't keep her away. She's sneaky and I'm not gonna let her take him away from me. He's my boyfriend."

"You think Nurse Krissy is in love with Daryl? What makes you think that?"

"I've seen the way she looks at him. My first day here, Daryl and I had dinner in the cafeteria together and I saw her come through the back door. She was staring at us Dr. Harrison; full on spying on us. I could see the look on her face; she was jealous. I could tell"

"Oh, okay then. How have you protected him against her?"

"I made sure she knows that he's with me. I told her that he was taking his walks with me now. I think it worked, because I haven't seen her around him, and I don't think he's spoken to her since we got together." 

"Well, I will most certainly have a talk with her about that. You don't need to worry about her though. If there is anything going on with her regarding Daryl, it's the Administrator's job to deal with that. Are there any other issues you would like to talk about? Any anxiety or sadness?"

"Not a bit," Madeline replied. She was getting anxious being away from Daryl for so long; she didn't want to give that nurse a chance to get her claws in him. "This place has already made me feel almost normal, and meeting Daryl has made me so happy. I don't think I'll have as many problems here as I did at West Georgia."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'm available anytime of the day or night if you need me, okay? If at any time you need to talk, or your meds need to be adjusted, just tell one of the nurses or attendants, they will contact me and I will be here as soon as possible. My goal is to see that every patient here has the best life they possibly can."

Madeline smiled at her innocently. "Thank you Dr. Harrison. I'll remember that."


	10. Midnight Rendevous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl has an unexpected visitor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me.

Chapter Ten- Midnight Rendezvous

 

Madeline pushed the door open slowly; she didn't want to disturb him, not yet at least. She held it as it closed so it wouldn't disturb the other patients on the floor and alert any staff to what she was doing. She could see him sleeping in his bed; he was on his side facing away from her. Madeline walked to the side of the bed behind him and began taking her clothes off; letting them drop to the floor until she was only wearing her hospital issued bra and panties. Daryl wasn't wearing a shirt, so she reached out and ghosted her hand down his arm. He stirred a little, but didn't wake up or turn over. He did however, release a quiet moan. She smiled to herself and walked around to the other side of the bed to face him.

He had a smile on his face, and it made him look beautiful. He looked younger and free of worry. Madeline moved her thumb across his cheek and his eyes began to open. "Hello sweetheart. I came to spend some time with you."

Daryl was groggy; his eyes were blurry and couldn't focus properly. "What's going on?"

"I can't wait anymore Daryl. I want you to touch me; want you to fuck me, please."

Daryl's eyes opened wide, and he sat up in bed. "We can't do that Madeline. Everyone'll hear us. We'll get in trouble." 

She leaned down and kissed his lips. "I can be very quiet, Daryl. I imagine you'll make it hard for me, but I'll try my best." She ran her hands down his chest slowly, and he closed his eyes. God his body needed this. He was never one to jerk off a lot, in fact he had only done it on a regular basis since he realized how he felt about Krissy. He never thought he would feel a woman's hands on him ever again, and although he wished those hands belonged to someone else, these hands wanted him, whereas the other's did not. 

He cupped her face and kissed her hard, then snapped her bra strap against her skin. "You're not gonna need this, or these," he said as his other hand squeezed her ass through her panties. He breathed heavily into her ear as his hands gripped her hips and moved her onto the bed and over him. He pushed his boxers down below his knees and she straddled his hips. "Are you wet for me? Cause I am so hard for you." One finger trailed down her stomach and glided over her sensitive clit to her pussy. She was dripping wet and he moaned when he slid his finger inside her.

"Oh Daryl," she whispered. "I haven't been this wet in so long. I've been so empty; I need you to fill me up." He removed his finger and lifted her up by the hips while she took his hard dick in her hand. She stroked it up and down, running her thumb over the tip as he positioned her above him. Her pussy was tight and warm; Daryl held his breath until she had taken all of him inside her. He looked up at her and ran his fingers through the ends of her blonde hair, wishing it was red. He wanted it to be Krissy on top of him, sitting on his dick. He sighed heavily and pulled Madeline down for a hard, desperate kiss, then held her hips as he moved his up and began to fuck her. 

All Daryl wanted was to get her off, get himself off, and get her the hell out of his room. "I'm not gonna last long," he told her quietly. Even though he was already regretting not sending her back to her room, he wanted to make the best of the situation. He knew damn well this was his only chance of ever getting laid or being intimate with a woman, and he truly didn't want her to hate him, so he tried his best to make it a good experience. He touched and licked her skin; her neck, chest, and breasts. He closed his eyes and imagined it was Krissy's body he was tasting, and luckily he was able to keep from saying the nurse’s name out loud as he fucked another woman. 

Madeline leaned over him and kissed his lips, then moved to his neck and chest; just as he had done with her. It was obvious he didn't have a lot of experience with sex, but he knew what to do and how to do it, and he did feel amazing inside her. She could feel her orgasm building, and wanted to pull his from him with force. Knowing he was close, she ground against him harder and bounced a little higher. Daryl rubbed her clit gently, hoping it would help her along; she made high pitched squealing sound as she came, and when he felt her walls contract around his dick, he spilled inside her.

She collapsed on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her body. They laid together for a few minutes while their heart rates and breathing returned to normal. Daryl lifted her face and kissed her sweetly "Thank you," he whispered. "It's been so long since anyone wanted me like that. I didn't think it'd ever happen again."

Madeline smiled at him, her eyes bright and full of affection. "You don't have to thank me for anything Daryl. I didn't know if you'd want me the same way I want you, and I was scared that you'd send me away. I love you Daryl; you don't have to say it back if you think it's too soon. You say it when you're ready." She sat up and moved off him; gathering her clothes, she leaned against the wall opposite the bed. Daryl sat up and watched her dress; he regretted what they had done, but kept that to himself. He would never have Krissy; that was even more obvious to him now, and he had to move on from that stupid fantasy. 

"Madeline." Daryl had one last thing to say to her before she returned to her room, and she walked back to his bed. He cupped her cheek in his hand and brought their lips together passionately. "I'm glad you came to see me. I hope we can do that again." 

She smiled at him again. "We'll never be apart Daryl; I'll make sure of that."


	11. Regression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madeline and Daryl take a walk and later he bumps into Krissy.

Chapter Eleven- Regression

 

The next morning Daryl woke up feeling strange. Not crazy strange, or he was gonna puke strange; he felt like he had done something that would have devastating effects on the people around him. He knew what happened between him and Madeline last night ensured that whatever friendship he had with Krissy would never be the same, and as he laid in bed his eyes teared up knowing he would never be any closer to her than he was right then.

After his shower, he dressed in his grey hospital issued track pants, white undershirt, and grey scrub top, also hospital issued. Madeline was walking off the elevator just as Daryl was walking up and she smiled at him before grabbing his arm and pulling him inside with her. Once the door closed, and they were the only ones on board, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He quickly squirmed away and out of her arms. 

The hurt look on her face made Daryl feel bad for having pushed her away. "Sorry, it's just that there are cameras in all the elevators; don't want us to get in trouble, besides, we’re going to the wrong floor."

"I know; I just couldn’t wait to kiss you again. You don’t regret last night, do you?” She looked up at him and smiled.

Daryl brushed his thumb against her cheek. "Mmm, it's not that at all. Just don't want to get us in trouble. They can keep us from seeing each other."

"We don't want that, do we?" She asked and winked at him as the elevator door opened. She pushed the button that would take them back downstairs, and when the door re-opened, he took her hand and led her to the cafeteria. Daryl carried both of their trays to a table in the back; they passed Krissy and Andrea sitting together, but didn't acknowledge them. Daryl intentionally sat with his back to them so he wouldn't have to look at Krissy, and could give Madeline his full attention. 

"Do you still want to walk this morning? Or do you need some time to yourself?" Madeline asked him; he noticed that she was looking over her shoulder at the doctor and nurse who were having a quiet conversation two tables behind them. He reached across the table to take her hand in his and get her attention. 

"Of course I want to take our walk together. I have a session with Dr. Harrison at eleven thirty, so we have plenty of time." Daryl tried to concentrate on the woman in front of him, and not the thought of what Krissy and Dr. Harrison could be talking about. "I'll need to take a shower though before I go to my appointment, but other than that we got about three hours to spend together. We should probably talk about what happened last night; find out what we want from this."

"Yeah, I guess we should make sure we're both on the same page; want the same things." She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb thoughtfully. "I meant what I said last night; I'm in love with you Daryl. No one has ever been so nice and kind to me. No one's ever kissed me or touched me the way you do. Being with you last night was the most amazing experience of my life." 

Daryl nodded his head. "Why don't we get out of here? We can talk more while we walk." He took their trays to the conveyor belt, then took her by the hand and led her outside.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When they hit the trailhead, Madeline startled Daryl by pushing him against the nearest tree. She had her hands under his top and her lips on his mouth. The kiss was sloppy, but passionate, and she moaned into his mouth. Daryl's fingers were entwined in her long, blonde hair while his other hand held her against him. "I want to suck you off Daryl." She said as she began to push his track pants down. He moaned loudly as she knelt down in front of him and her hair was pulled free of his grasp. He wanted to protest, he really did, but she wasn't taking no for an answer.

When he felt her tiny hand grip the base of his cock, he sucked a lungful of air through gritted teeth. Turning her eyes up to Daryl, she licked his slit and wrapped her tongue around the head. "Fuck!" he exclaimed. He looked down at her and was hypnotized; the tip of his dick laid on her tongue and he watched as she closed her mouth around him and slid her lips down until they touched the short, thick hair around his cock. She kept her eyes on him as she stroked him slowly with her mouth; his breath hitched and he moaned thickly when she rolled his balls between her fingers like dice. He had forgotten what bliss it was to have a warm, wet mouth around him; sucking and licking, pulling and tugging. "Feels so fucking good sweetheart. Make me cum, please baby."

Madeline increased her speed and pressure and soon Daryl felt that tell-tale throbbing in his balls and without warning, exploded down her throat. Their eyes never left each-other, and he watched her throat contract with each swallow. She took every drop and smiled up at him as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, then tucked him back into his boxers and pulled the track pants back up his legs. Daryl offered her his hand and helped her to stand in front of him. His arms gripped her hips and he pulled her to him; Daryl kissed her with everything he had, then rested his forehead on her shoulder. "Fuck, Madeline. That was amazing; you're so amazing." He looked at her and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Let me return the favor."

"Maybe later; I want to finish the trail, and we won't have time to do that and get you to Dr. Harrison in time." She reached up on her tip toes and kissed Daryl on the corner of his lips. "Come on, let's enjoy our quiet time before we have to go back to reality." She pulled him forward by his shirttail, but he didn't move.

"I mean it, Maddie. I want to make you feel good too. I haven't done it in a long time, but I owe it to ya to give ya back what you've given me." 

"And I can't wait Daryl."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl took a quick shower before going to Dr. Harrison's office; he smelled like sex, and even though the doctor wouldn't bring it up if he didn't, Daryl didn't want to endure her knowing stare for a full hour. In an effort to keep from running into Krissy, he kept his head down as he walked the hallway, but ended up doing exactly that. Turning a corner, he collided with something soft and small; papers flew everywhere and he blindly grabbed her by the waist to steady them both. "Oh God, Krissy; I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." 

She looked up and saw those blue eyes she hadn't been able to stop thinking about. It took her a moment to realize what had happened, but once it dawned on her that his hands were firmly gripping her waist, she spoke. "It's okay Daryl; no harm, no foul." He got down on the floor and gathered the papers; he avoided looking her in the eyes as he held them up for her to take. "I hear congratulations are in order." She said to him as he stood back up.

"For what?" He asked and stared a hole in the wall next to her head.

"You and Madeline; I'm happy for you, and her. I always knew you would find your person, Daryl. Someone who would put a smile on your face, happiness in your heart. Someone who would finally make you believe that you deserve love and someone you would be able to love in return."

Daryl finally looked at her. Krissy's eyes were soft and kind, but he could see sadness behind them. He held her gaze and shook his head. "No Krissy; you showed me that before I ever knew her." He reached out to touch her cheek, but the ding of the elevator startled them both. He quickly took a step away from her while the people on the elevator went their separate ways. "So, how are you and Gareth doing?" He asked her once the hallway was empty again.

"Everything is good. He's really trying, ya know; making an effort. Things have been a lot better lately." Her heart was beating a thousand miles a second and she felt flushed; even though he had taken a step back from her, she could still feel the heat from his body and his words echoed in her head. She wished he would take that step closer to her and finish what he had intended to do earlier, but she pushed that thought out of her mind. "You need to get going; I don't want Dr. Harrison blaming me for you being late for your session"

"Alright, um . . . do you think I could see you later? Before you leave? It's been a while since you said goodnight before you went home."

"I would love to, but I don't think your girlfriend would appreciate it, and I wouldn't want to cause trouble for the two of you."

"Don't worry about her; I'll be alone. Just come by the bench okay. I miss you." 

"I've missed you too Daryl. I'll see you before I leave; I promise." He nodded his head and stepped around her leaving her standing in the hallway with a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks.


	12. The Good Old Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets some help from Dr. Harrison, and someone makes a surprising confession.

Chapter Twelve- The Good Old Days

 

"Come in," Andrea said in response to the knock on her door. She assumed it was Daryl; his session started in five minutes and he was never late. She had been working on a proposal for the hospital board; the administrator had approved her recommendations for new therapy techniques and now she had to prepare a presentation for the board members to approve. 

"Hey Dr. Harrison, I'm not too early am I?" Daryl came in and closed the door behind him. 

"No Daryl, you're right on time, as always. I've been working on my presentation for the board," Andrea replied as she put away her notes and pulled out her recorder and notepad.

"Presentation for what?" He asked.

"I've been reading up on some new therapeutic techniques for dealing with depression and suicidal patients. The administrator has already approved implementation, but I have to run it by the board first; legal reasons."

"That’s great Dr. Harrison. I hope it all works out."

"Thank you Daryl; I do too. So, may I guess what has put this smile on your face?" She asked him, pretty confident that she knew the answer.

"Saw Krissy on my way to your office. I haven't had the chance to see or talk to her since Maddie's been here." Daryl blushed.

"So you and Krissy talked for a while?"

"Yeah, she said she was happy for me; glad I found my person, but she didn't look happy. I asked her about how things were going with Gareth and she said things were good; that he's trying real hard to make things better, but she still looked so sad."

"I know it means a lot to her that you care so much; she cares a lot about you too. Do you think we could talk about Madeline though, just for a bit? I just want to make sure that you two are getting along and are having a healthy relationship."

Daryl knew she would want to know about him and Madeline, and he was prepared for whatever she would ask, but he wanted to talk about Krissy. "Alright," he said. "What do you want to know?"

"Does she make you happy? Has spending time with her given you a reason to be excited to wake up in the morning, or do you seek her out during the day to see her face or hear her voice?"

Daryl smirked. "I think I was happy before I knew her. I've been excited to wake up every morning since I realized that my dream was just a dream, and I don't really have to seek her out; she's always right there next to me."

"What I mean Daryl, is do you look forward to seeing her? Does spending time with her make you happier?"

"Listen Dr. Harrison, we kinda had this conversation before. Maddie wants to spend time with me; she likes me and she says really nice things to me. She thinks I'm funny and handsome; I'm not stupid enough to let that go. I don't know why she likes me, but it doesn't matter. You know that I can't have anything with . . . anyway, I don't want to spend the rest of my life alone, and now I don't have to."

Andrea sighed. She was conflicted now; she couldn't condone a relationship between a nurse and her patient, but she couldn't sit back and let Daryl give his life away to a woman that he didn't love. A manipulative woman who had already become obsessed with him. "Daryl, I have never done this before; it's against my ethics as a doctor, but there is something I have to tell you. Madeline is very unstable; she's become obsessed with you and has begun targeting Krissy as an enemy."

"What the hell? What are you talking about?" Daryl would have laughed out loud at that statement, but the look on Dr. Harrison's face advised against it.

"In our last session, Madeline told me that she believes Krissy is in love with you; that she is trying to seduce you and take advantage of her position as your nurse. She's taken it upon herself to protect you from her."

"That's not true Dr. Harrison. She's never done anything like that."

"I know that Daryl, and Madeline would be hard pressed to convince anyone that it was true. Krissy and I have been discussing the situation and we decided that her staying away would be best for the short term; it's why you haven't been seeing much of her lately, but she's been keeping her eye on you. Her main priority is your mental health Daryl; she's afraid that Madeline may send you back to where you were before."

Daryl's heart was beating out of his chest and his lungs weren't expanding fully. Andrea moved to kneel in front of Daryl and put her hands on his face. "Look at me Daryl; focus on me." He looked at her face, her blue eyes locked on his and he felt his heart rate slow down. "I know you saw Krissy and I this morning at breakfast. She cares about you so much Daryl, and she doesn't want you to get hurt; by Madeline, by her, by anyone."

"She'd never hurt me; I know she wouldn't. It's all my fault. I never should have let her get close, but I was so tired of being alone; so tired of seeing Krissy every day and knowing that I'd never get to touch her or tell her that I love her. I should have been stronger and not let it happen; now it's too late."

"Daryl, we're gonna help Madeline, okay. We're gonna make sure she's okay and help her realize what's really going on. I think that you and her should spend some time apart, alright. Do you think that would be okay?" Andrea removed her hands from Daryl's face, but stayed close to him. 

"Yeah, I need to think about things. I made a big mistake Dr. Harrison, and I don't know how to fix it."

"Daryl, you just wanted to make her feel welcome; being someone's friend is not a mistake."

"No, that's not what I'm talking about. We . . . we were, uh. . . shit. We fucked." He blurted it out like he had a mouthful of poison.

"Oh Daryl. You know patients aren't supposed to have physical relationships with each other."

"I know, but she was there, and she told me she loved me and wanted to be with me. I didn't think I'd ever hear a woman say that again. I didn't want it to be her, but she's the only chance I'll ever have." Andrea's heat broke into a million pieces. She had wanted a distraction for Daryl, but this is something she never would have imagined.

"Do you need something to help you calm down, something to relax you?" she asked.

"No, I don't want any more meds." Daryl answered her; his voice tiny and soft.

"Why don't you go back to your room and relax, get some sleep if you can. I can have someone bring you lunch if you sleep through it."

"Thank you, I think I need some sleep. What about Madeline though?"

"I have volunteered her to help me with my presentation. It will take up a lot of her time, but her sacrifice will benefit all of us if the board approves." Daryl smiled, his exhaustion evident in his features. He thanked the doctor once again and promised to let Dr. Harrison handle Madeline and take some time for himself.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl did indeed sleep through lunch; in fact, he slept through most of the afternoon. It was four thirty when he woke up and there was a cafeteria tray on the small table in the corner of the room. He went to piss, then came out and sat in front of the window. The tray consisted of a cheeseburger, onion rings, a bottle of Coke and a chocolate chip cookie; there was also a note from Dr. Harrison.

I told Madeline that you aren't feeling well and that you needed some time to recuperate. I hope that you're not coming down with a cold; that would put you in isolation for a few days, and I would hate for that to happen. Haha!

Daryl smiled; Dr. Harrison was the best psychiatrist he had ever had. Truly, she was the only one he had ever had, but there had been times, in emergency situations when he had encountered other doctors who were not well versed in his history. Daryl loved Dr. Harrison like she was his sister, and she took care of him like family.

He stared out the window as he ate, thinking about the situation he had gotten himself into. He trusted Dr. Harrison and knew everything would work out, but he was still worried. He worried about Madeline; he may not love her, but he didn't want to see her get hurt. He wasn't angry with her regarding her feelings and beliefs about Krissy. He wished that it were true though; that the beautiful nurse was in love with him. He worried about Krissy; he worried that Madeline might try to hurt her in some way. And of course Gareth was always on his mind; that bastard who made her feel like she wasn't as good as him. She was better than any other human being he had ever known and he loved her.

After he ate, he changed clothes and went to the rec room for a while. He played checkers with Dale, and then worked on a jigsaw puzzle with Noah until it was time for dinner. He didn't want to risk seeing Madeline, so he snuck off to his room to get his smokes, then went outside to sit on his bench to wait for Krissy.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon when Daryl heard soft footsteps behind him. He knew it was his nurse, everything about her was delicate and soft. He didn't turn around, but looked straight ahead as she rounded the bench and sat next to him. "Dr. Harrison told me you weren't feeling well. Are you okay?"

He turned his head to look at her and smiled, taking her hand in his. "I'm feeling much better now. I know you have to get home, but would you have a few minutes? There's something I'd like to talk to you about; maybe we could go for a walk? I've missed that."

"Gareth started a new job this week; second shift. He's on from three to eleven thirty. He isn't even at home right now; we've got all the time we need." He crushed his cigarette under his shoe and took her hand, leading her to the trail that they had found together. When they reached the trailhead, Daryl cast a glance at the large tree he had been pushed against earlier that morning. He closed his eyes, trying to will away the memory and concentrate on the woman he was with now. 

"I know you said that things were better with you and Gareth, but I don't think that's true. You don't have to pretend with me Krissy; you know you can tell me everything. I want you to tell me the truth."

Krissy squeezed his hand. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?" He smirked and shook his head. "It wasn't a complete lie; things have gotten better. Since he started working nights and I work during the day, we don't see each other as often. That's a plus in my book, but I lied when I said he was trying; he couldn't care less." Daryl huffed out an angry breath. "I know how you feel about the situation Daryl, but there isn't anything that can be done about it now. I've made my bed and now I have to lie in it; at least I'm not married to him."

Daryl pulled on her arm sharply, causing her to trip backwards. "Don't you even joke about this shit. The thought of you just sharing a bed with him makes me fucking sick; I don't ever want think about you being trapped with him for the rest of your life."

Krissy was startled by Daryl's outburst, but wasn't surprised. She knew how he felt about Gareth, and had a feeling that Daryl had known she was lying before. "I'm sorry Daryl; I didn't want to upset you. I didn't know . . . "

"Bullshit!" he yelled, interrupting her. "You know; how can you not know? How can you not fucking know that I'm in love with you? I know that you can't love me back, but I can't stop thinking about you, or dreaming about you." He let go of her arm and dropped to the ground with his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry Krissy," he sobbed.

Krissy got on her knees in front of him and pulled his hands away from his face. "There isn't anything for you to be sorry for Daryl." She tilted his face up and caressed his cheek. "Is it true?"

He nodded his head, tears streaming down his face. "For the first time in my life, I know what's real and what's not. I know that you aren't her; you may look like her, but you're not her. She was afraid of me, but you aren't. I know that I have problems; that I'm never gonna be able to take care of myself or be on my own. I'll never be able to have a real relationship with a woman; marriage, kids. That isn't meant for me. But I also know that I have never felt this way for any other person in my life; not even Emily. No one has ever done for me the things you have; given me strength and confidence, encouraged me. I know that you can never love me, but I need you to know what you've done for me and what it means."

Krissy wiped his tears, and her own. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and he buried his face in her neck. "Sshh, Daryl; everything is going to be alright." He shook his head against her then lifted it to look at her.

"I'm not finished; there's something else I have to tell you. Dr. Harrison told me about what Madeline's been saying to you and what she believes; that your trying to take advantage of me. I know it's why you've been staying away. I know she's told you to stay away from me, and I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I made a huge mistake and I don't know how to make up for it."

"Nothing is your fault Daryl, none of it. You wanted to be her friend; that is what makes you such a wonderful man. She is the one who misinterpreted what was going on; she's the one who escalated the situation. It's nothing you did."

Daryl wrapped his arms around Krissy's waist and pulled her onto his lap; her legs straddling his thighs. "You don't understand what I'm saying. I did do something; something I didn't want to do, but I did because I knew I would never be able to have you. I would never know how soft your skin is, or how sweet your lips taste." He rested his forehead on her chest. "I had sex with her. I thought she was my only chance to feel that again. I know you don't love me, but I feel like I betrayed you. Can you forgive me?"

Krissy looked down at him. His face was a mask of pure vulnerability, she knew what she was supposed to say and do, but she couldn't hurt him; especially since she knew that he loved her back. "I wish you would stop saying that," she said to him.

"Saying what?" he looked worried that he had just fucked up more that he realized. 

"That I don't love you. I think I fell in love with you long before I realized it." 

"Please don't say it if you don't mean it. I couldn't take that," he begged her.

"I am in love with you Daryl Dixon, and I really want you to kiss me." One lone tear threatened to fall down his cheek, but instead of letting it go, he tangled his fingers in Krissy's long, red hair and pulled her lips to his. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

It was eight forty-five by the time Madeline left Dr. Harrison's office. She and Lizzie, along with three other female patients had been helping her all afternoon. She hadn't heard anything about how Daryl was feeling and was concerned. Her first stop was his room, but he wasn't there. Then she went to the rec room and the cafeteria, but didn't find him. She saw Dale as he was walking down the hall and he told her that perhaps the man was out at the bench having his before bed smoke. Madeline hadn't thought of that and snuck out one of the back doors to the courtyard. 

The bench Daryl used as his own was empty, and she got worried. Surely if something had happened to him, someone would have told her; she was his girlfriend after all. She wandered around and made her way to the trail that had become their own private place. She heard sounds, but couldn't tell what they were so she started walking. Soon she heard a voice, Daryl's voice. He didn't have a lot of conversations with himself, so she assumed he was out here with someone, and she was fairly certain she knew who it would be. 

She stayed to the grassy area, out of sight from anyone on the trail and looked around a large Oak tree. That nurse was sitting on his lap, grinding herself on him like a whore. He had his hands all over her and his mouth was on her neck. She could hear them mumbling something to each other, but couldn't hear what they were saying, but it didn't matter. Come tomorrow morning that stupid whore was gonna get what was coming to her.


	13. Tattle Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madeline strikes out in anger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may read as a complicated chapter, and it should. The shit is hitting the fan now and everyone is a little excitable. Some people just aren't thinking straight, or at all.

Chapter Thirteen- Tattle Tale

 

Daryl didn't sleep a wink that night. He and Krissy had stayed out until close to nine o'clock kissing and touching each other. It hurt to let her go and return to his room, but he knew he would see her again the next morning. He replayed every word, every kiss, and every touch. He closed his eyes and felt the warmth of her skin under his hands; he was desperately hard and needed release in the worst way. Knowing there was the possibility that Madeline would find her way to his room again, he got out of bed and went to the shower. He was rock hard and leaking and didn't waste time once the water hit his skin. He imaged Krissy on her knees for him; his cock sliding in and out of her mouth, but he wanted more. He wanted to be inside her, over her, under her, behind her, and beside her. 

He stroked himself slowly at first until he settled on an image of the two of them in the woods near where he had grown up. He took her hard and rough; she was begging him to fuck her faster. He could hear her moaning and panting, and felt her body shake in his arms. He pumped himself harder, and in his head he heard her scream his name into night. He came forcefully; harder than he ever had in his life, and collapsed onto the shower floor. Daryl sat there for ten minutes before he realized the water had run cold, and reached out to turn off the shower head; he dried off and wobbled back to his bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl took another shower when he awoke the next morning, then after dressing, went looking for Madeline. He wanted to see Krissy, but didn't want to rock the boat with his "girlfriend" just yet. Dr. Harrison said that she was going to try to help her realize the truth, but he didn't know exactly how she planned on doing that. He waited for her by the elevator, but she never came down. He asked Lizzie when he saw her, but she told him that Madeline was already gone when she woke up. Thinking she might have been doing some work with Dr. Harrison, he went on to the cafeteria and had his breakfast with Noah, Jim, and Dale.

He noticed Krissy sitting alone again, and after taking his tray to the conveyor belt, he stopped at her table. "Good morning," he whispered, trying so hard to keep himself in check.

When she looked up at him, he couldn't help but smile like a fool. "Good morning Daryl. Would you like to have a seat?" she asked and indicated to the chair across from her. "You look good this morning; I take it you slept well."

"Last night was the best night of my life; I slept like a baby for the first time in years." He put his elbows on the table and leaned closer to her. "I feel like I have a brand new life Krissy." He shook his head, smiling and leaned back in his chair. "Take a walk with me."

"I don't think that's a good idea Daryl," Krissy said, shaking her head.

"Why not?"

"People are going to see us; they're gonna know something's going on Daryl."

"You and I have been taking walks for a couple of months now. Nobody's gonna think a damn thing is different if we don't act like it is. Come on; I know you miss our walks."

"I do Daryl." With a slight smile on her face, she sighed in defeat. "Alright, let's go. I have an hour before the staff meeting."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

After their walk, which was filled with hand holding, sweet words, and an occasional peck on the cheek, Krissy and Daryl walked back to the hospital separately. Daryl went to Dr. Harrison's office to ask her for a favor, and Krissy went to the nurses' station to plan out the day for her and her staff. 

Andrea was walking out of her office when Daryl got there. "Hello Daryl; are you feeling better today?"

"I've never felt this good in my entire life, Dr. Harrison. I need to ask a favor though; could I use your phone to call Merle. It's important, and kinda private."

She looked him up and down and could see the energy pouring from his body. "Alright, but just this once. I just got a call from the administrator; he wants to talk to me about something important, so it might be a while before I get back. Take as much time as you need." He nodded his appreciation and closed the door behind him. He quickly dialed Merle's cell phone and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey little brother," Merle's seemingly happy voice greeted him on the other side of the line. "How things going?"

"Things are good Merle, real good. Listen, I need you to do me a favor if you can."

"Of course Daryl. You know I'd do anything for you. You just tell me what you need, and I'll get it done."

"I need you to help me get Krissy away from that dick she lives with. I need you to get her out of there and find a place for her; somewhere she'll be safe."

Merle didn't say anything for a few minutes, then cleared his throat. "She's the cute little nurse, isn't she?"

"Yeah, that's her. Will you help me, brother? I can't do anything for her from here. She's done so much for me; I need to do this for her. Please."

Merle sighed loudly. "Where's she live now?"

"Candlewood Apartments, on Harding Road. You know it?"

"Of course I know it; I know everything, or did you forget that?" Merle said laughing. "Don't you worry little brother; I've got your back, and hers. Just do a little favor for me too, okay?"

"Sure Merle, anything." Daryl would agree to do anything if Merle would help Krissy have her freedom.

"Next time you see your cute little doctor; you tell her ole Merle needs to discuss something very important with her. She can call me on the cell anytime, day or night. Make sure she knows it's important, alright?"

"Sure Mere; what's so important? Something I need to know about?"

"Not right now Daryl. Hopefully, I'll have some good news for you soon."

"You gonna try to get them to let you come back into the hospital? Shit Merle, that would be great." Daryl's happiness and excitement was evident in his voice; he had never had a more wonderful day in his entire life.

"Something like that. I'm gonna make sure we can spend more time together; no matter what I have to do."

"Thank you Merle; that really means a lot to me. I'll do anything to make that happen."

"You just tell the good doctor to give me a call. I'll take it from there, and I'll get started on your favor."

"Thanks Merle; love you brother."

"Love you too brother."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

When lunchtime came around, Daryl was in the rec room playing chess with Dale. He hadn't seen Krissy since their walk, and hadn't seen Madeline all morning. He didn't miss seeing Madeline at all; the smile on his face was from his thoughts of Krissy, of her finally being free. They wouldn't be able to be together regardless of her freedom, but he wanted her to have that; he wanted to be able to give that to her. 

As he and Dale walked down the hall to the cafeteria, Andrea came running down toward them; she grabbed Daryl by the arm. "I have to talk to you Daryl. It's very important." His eyes blew wide open and he quickly followed the doctor to her office.

Andrea closed and locked the door behind her as Daryl took his seat in front of her desk. "I need you to remain calm Daryl. It is very important that you keep yourself in check, because if you can't, I will have to have you sedated."

"Sedated? What the fuck is going on Dr. Harrison?" His heart was beating faster, and his head began to spin. He knew he did not want to hear what the doctor was about to tell him, but if she didn't get a move on, he was going to explode anyway.

"I didn't want you to hear about this from anyone else but me. Daryl, Krissy's been fired."

Daryl's heart stopped beating, and he felt as if his mind was on fire. "What?" he asked in a soft, faint voice.

"Someone went to the administrator and told them that they found you and Krissy on the walking trail . . . having sex. Whoever it was asked to remain anonymous. The administrator fired her on the spot and there is going to be an investigation. Krissy could lose her licensure and go to jail for this."

Daryl sobbed uncontrollably. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" he cried out in anger. "We gotta do something Dr. Harrison. I can't let this happen to her. I can't lose her."

"I'm pretty sure I know who anonymous is, and all you have to do is get her to confess."

Daryl looked up at Dr. Harrison and wiped his eyes. "You think Madeline's behind this, don't you?"

"Yes, Daryl; I do. Who else would have a reason to do this? Who else would benefit from Krissy losing her job. Only you can get her to confess; if you convince her that you're glad Krissy's gone, she'll want you to know she did it. She will want you to be proud of her and grateful."

"How am I supposed to do that? She's gonna see right through me. She's ruined everything and I'm supposed to pretend that I'm grateful?"

"Right now she's working on something for my presentation. After lunch I'll suggest that she find you and you two can take a walk; spend some time together. Tell her you heard about Krissy getting fired. Don't tell her you know why or how, but that you're glad she's gone because she reminded you of the girl from your dream. Then, hopefully she will confess to you that she was the one who went to the administrator in hopes of receiving your praise. I can be outside if you want me to be and when the two of you come back you could give me a nod if she confessed to you. Then I'll come up and escort you both to the administrator on the pretense that he wants to speak to you about Krissy's behavior."

"You really think that'll work?" Daryl asked her. 

"I can't guarantee it, but Madeline is the type who seeks attention and praise. If you give that to her, I'm sure she will do anything you ask of her. If you tell her that "talking to the administrator" would go a long way in keeping suspicion off her, she would be willing to go with us to his office."

"If it will clear Krissy's name and get her job back, I will do anything Dr. Harrison, but it's gonna be hard to look at her knowing what I know. I never wanted to hurt her and I don't want to trick her; I tried to forget Krissy and be with Madeline; that's what you wanted me to do, right?"

"I wanted you to find a distraction; that's true, but I never imagined it would turn out this way. I didn't want this to happen to any of you, Daryl. Something happened that made her snap, and if we can't find proof of her guilt or get her to confess, things may get worse for all three of you."

Daryl stared off into space. He felt as if he were barely breathing; images of Madeline on her knees and Krissy in his arms on a loop in his head. "I shouldn't have let her kiss me; I should have told her to leave when she came to my room. I caused all this Dr. Harrison; I should have never let her think I loved her, or that I could. I just wanted someone to love me and I used her."

"Daryl, I need you to go back to your room; I'm going to prescribe a sedative for you, no arguments. Your heart rate and mental state are in jeopardy. You need to stay calm; when your mind is clear we'll figure out what we're gonna do, alright?"

"Yeah, okay." Daryl stood on shaky legs and allowed Dr. Harrison to walk him to his room. "I'll stop at the nurses' station and put in the order for the sedative; it won't be too strong, just enough for you to get some rest."

"Thank you," Daryl said as she turned to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot. Merle wants you to call him as soon as you can; he said it was real important."

"I'll call him when I get back to my office. You just rest and relax Daryl; we'll get this straightened out."


	14. Dixon Brothers to the Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The administrator asks to speak to Daryl, and Merle takes care of some business.

Chapter Fourteen- Dixon Brothers to the Rescue

 

Daryl was awoken the next morning by a knock on his door. He rushed to put clothes on then opened it to find Dr. Harrison standing there nervously. He allowed her entrance to the room and she sat in the chair opposite his bed. "Good morning Daryl. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. I thought a little more about your plan and I don't know if it's a good idea. I know that we need to get her to confess, if she did it, but I don't want to trick her again. I can't be the one to do it."

"I understand Daryl, but you have something to confess too. You need to tell her that you don't love her; you need to apologize to her for whatever you did to put that idea in her head. I know it wasn't intentional, but it happened. It happens all the time in relationships and most men don’t give a shit one way or another, but you do. She needs to know that you never wanted to hurt her. If you don't agree with my plan, but still want to help Krissy, then you take care of it how you see fit; I trust you."

"That's good to know Dr. Harrison, because I don't. I've fucked everything up and I don't know how to fix it and not make everything worse."

"You'll figure it out," Andrea said. "The reason I'm here though is to let you know that the administrator wants to speak to you; he wants to know your version of things. Your side of the story could help clear this up."

Daryl stood and went to the dresser to get his clothes for the day. "I figured I'd be one of the first he'd interview. Just tell me what time to be there."

"As soon as you can get ready. I told him I would escort you to his office. I'll wait for you if you want to talk about it after."

"Thanks Dr. Harrison; I appreciate it. I'm sure I'll be a little shook up afterwards."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl sat in the waiting room of the administrator's office while Andrea went in to talk to him. He was nervous, and hoped that he wouldn't lose it during the interview. When Andrea came back out, he stood; she spoke to him briefly before taking his seat. 

"Don't be nervous. I told him that you were very upset by the accusations and that you were having a hard time dealing with the situation. I'm sure he'll take it easy on you." She smiled softly at Daryl and patted his shoulder as she took his abandoned seat.

Daryl walked into the office cautiously. "Hello Mr. Dixon," a large, grey haired man said as he stood to shake Daryl's hand. "My name is John Link; I assume you know why I've asked to speak with you?"

"Yes sir." Daryl answered and sat in the chair in front of the large wooden desk.

"Okay then, I'm just going to start with the obvious question. Did you and Krissy Gallagher have sexual intercourse on hospital property?"

Daryl shook his head. "No sir, we did not."

The older man nodded his head. "And can you tell me what kind of relationship you have with Ms. Gallagher."

"She's my nurse; I'm her patient, just like everybody else on my floor. She makes sure I get my meds when I'm supposed to and treats us like human beings, not retarded children."

John looked at Daryl with curiosity. "So Ms. Gallagher means a lot to you; does she give you preferential treatment?"

"I don't know what that is, 'cause I've never been treated any different from anybody else around here. She treats us all the same; just ask Noah, Jim, and Dale. We're all glad she's on our floor; especially after Carol left. I didn't think I'd ever have a nurse as good as her, but I was wrong."

Daryl was afraid he was beginning to ramble; he was nervous, yes, but he didn't know how much rambling would eventually look suspicious. "Krissy was the one who got me out of bed after the coma. She got me to take a shower every day, got me to go to the cafeteria for meals and sit with the other patients. If it weren't for her I wouldn't be going to group or participating; I wouldn't be functioning if it weren't for her, and I'm sure a lot of the other patient would say the same thing."

"Just ask Dr. Harrison how much better I've been since Krissy became my nurse. To be completely honest, Dr. Link, I don't think I have it in me to break in a new one; I don't want to go back to that place I was in before. I have never felt so normal in my life. It doesn't take away the PTSD, or the depression and anxiety, but I am clear headed now. I can function and it's all because of her."

"She's never done anything inappropriate, with me or any of the other patients. I promise you that. She's always been professional around us, and we all respect and love her. Everyone will tell you that."

Dr. Link smiled behind his desk. "Well Daryl, you certainly sound clear headed, and I will be speaking to the other patients Ms. Gallagher takes care of shortly. I just want you to know that you made a compelling argument in Ms. Gallagher's favor and I thank you for coming in to speak to me." He extended his hand and Daryl shook it without hesitation.

When he exited Dr. Link's office, he felt good about how the interview had gone. He felt confident that he had done everything he could to defend Krissy's professionalism, and knew that the other patients would tell him the same thing. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

While Daryl was resting in his room, Merle was sitting in his truck; his friend Axel next to him in the passenger seat, with Oscar, Caesar, and Shumpert in the back seat. "Alright boys, you ready for this?" He asked his passengers.

"Hell yeah," Axel answered. "Anything for Daryl; he's a good kid."

Merle sighed heavily. "Daryl ain't no kid; never has been. It's about time he had something good, and I'm gonna make sure he gets it; no matter what it is or what I have to do."

The five men exited the truck and walked slowly toward the apartment building; hands in their pockets. They weren't carrying weapons because they didn't need to; their words and their fists would be enough for this job.

They heard some yelling behind the door, but that was all. It sounded like both occupants were giving as well as they were getting. Merle knocked on the door, but nothing happened; he knocked again, a little louder this time and he heard footsteps stomping their way to the door.

It flew open in a flash and a young, angry man stood on the other side. "Who the fuck are you. Get the fuck outta here; I'm busy."

"Well it certainly sounds like it, but I have some very important business with Krissy. Is she here?" Merle said in a very serious, very stern voice.

"Krissy don't have no business with the likes of you, so you're gonna need to get the fuck outta my face and go back to where you came from." 

Merle and his boys started laughing. "I appreciate your warning, but it don't mean jack shit to us. Now, why don't you step aside and welcome us inside your humble abode."

Just then, Merle caught sight of a mess of red hair peering around the corner. "Ah, Miss Krissy, there you are. May my associates and I speak to you for a moment. We have something very important to discuss."

Krissy walked into the room. "Merle? What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?"

Pushing Gareth aside, Merle and his friends entered the room. "I'm here on behalf of my brother; he's the one who told me where I could find you. I'm doing this as a favor for him, and I aim to get it done."

"Daryl? How is he?" she asked nervously.

"He's upset, but he'll be fine. Dr. Harrison is taking good care of him." He turned to face Gareth. "So, I assume you're the asshole boyfriend?"

"The fuck!" Gareth yelled and dove at Merle. Shumpert stepped directly in his path and Gareth bounced off his hard, broad chest. 

"Don't worry about it asshole; I already knew the answer to the question." Merle said and turned his attention back to Krissy. "I'm here to get you out of here, little missy. Daryl asked me to take you somewhere safe and away from this douche bag. I got a place you can stay temporarily until we can find you something better. Now go pack a couple of bags so we can get the fuck up outta Dodge."

Krissy looked at Merle and his friends, then Gareth. His face was contorted with more rage than she had ever seen. She looked back at Merle and mouthed the words 'thank you' before running back to the bedroom and grabbing what she needed.

While she was gone, Merle stepped up to Gareth; Shumpert and Oscar holding him by the arms like they were bookends. "We are gonna lead her outta this place; she don't want nothing to do with you, and you don't need to come find her. Do you understand me motherfucker?"

Gareth looked at him wide-eyed; all he could do was nod. "Well, that's real nice that you agree with me on that, but I think I'm gonna let my friends here explain it to ya a little better." 

Just then, Krissy came back into the room with two large duffle bags. "Axel and Caesar are gonna help ya with your bags, ma'am. We'll come back in a couple of days to get the rest." Without further ado, Merle escorted her out of the apartment, followed by Axel and Caesar, leaving Gareth alone with Oscar and Shumpert. 

**************************************************************************************************************************************

On the way to Merle's house, Krissy thanked him profusely for getting her out of that apartment and away from Gareth. She told him about losing her job and why; she also expressed her concern for Daryl and his well-being.

"I spoke to Dr. Harrison yesterday, and she's gonna figure a way outta this mess. She and Daryl are gonna get you your job back." Merle said, his voice full of conviction.

Krissy was quiet after that; she had so many things running through her head that she couldn't organize them properly, so she just sat back and enjoyed the feeling of freedom. 

When they arrived at Merle's place, he brought in her bags and sat them in his guest bedroom. "I know this is probably a shock to you; that I would live in a place as nice as this, but I bought it from my boss when he gave me that job. He and his wife, Rosita are expecting a baby and they needed a bigger place, so he let me move in."

"I'm not shocked that you would live in a nice house, Merle; what shocks me is that you would live in a house with frilly, lace curtains and sunflower wallpaper in the kitchen." Krissy said with a smile and giggle. Merle couldn't help but laugh at that himself. 

"Well, I'm looking to do a bit of redecorating soon." He replied. "I'm gonna go to the hospital and let Daryl know you're safe; you make yourself at home sweetheart. Help yourself to anything you want."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl was waiting on his bench when he saw Merle approaching. He had slept most of the afternoon and was feeling a bit calmer, but the anxiety was still there. "It's good to see you Merle" Daryl said as he stood and embraced his brother. 

"Good to see you too baby brother. I got some good news for you. I went and picked up your nurse; she's safe back at my house. You don't have to worry; I took some of the boys to her apartment with me. That asswipe ain't gonna bother her no more; I promise you that."

"Thanks Merle; you don't know what it means to me to know she's safe." Daryl said as he exhaled.

"I think I do," Merle replied. "She told me about her losing her job. Dr. Harrison told me about it yesterday when she called me, but didn't give me any details. What's going on?"

Daryl and Merle each pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "It's all my fault. I let Madeline think that I loved her and that we could spend the rest of our lives together. I tried to do what you and Dr. Harrison said, you know, about forgetting Krissy. I just wanted to know what it felt like to be loved and I let everything get out of hand. I pushed Madeline and it got Krissy fired."

"You did no such damn thing!" Merle shouted. "That damn bitch is crazy; why do you think she's here? Going to the administrator with a bullshit story like that was her choice, because she's fucking bat shit. Do you know what she said about Krissy to get her fired?"

"Yeah, I know." Daryl said and rubbed his face with his hands. 

"Tell me it ain't true," Merle pleaded with him.

"Didn't you ask Krissy? What did she say?"

"I didn't ask her; she told me straight up that it didn't happen, and I believe her, but I know something happened. You better spill it."

Daryl's thumb went directly between his teeth. "I told her that I'm in love with her."

"Oh, did you now? And what did she say to that?" Merle was obviously fucking around with him, but Daryl was too oblivious to notice.

Daryl looked Merle right in the eye, and didn't stutter. "She said it back. She said she loves me too. She let me kiss her."

Daryl's smile matched his brother's. Merle reached over and pulled Daryl into a hug. "Do you believe me?" Daryl asked.

"Of course I do; the only thing she was concerned with, once we left that apartment, was you. She kept asking how you were and if I'd talked to ya. I can tell she loves you brother."

Daryl settled back against the bench, still smiling like a loon. "At least she's free now; that's all that matters, and I'm gonna get her job back for her. I had to talk to the administrator this morning. I think I did pretty good; he said that I sounded very clear headed and made" a compelling argument in her favor". Daryl said, moving his fingers in the air.

"I'm sure if anybody can get her job back it's you baby brother, but what are you going to do about your girlfriend. I mean, if she did this anonymously, she'd have to confess in order for the truth to come out."

"I know. Dr. Harrison has a plan, but I don't feel comfortable with it. I think I'm just gonna ask her to go for a walk tomorrow morning and talk to her. I don't wanna make things worse for anybody; I just want her to confess, if she did it, and get Krissy her job back. It don't even matter anymore that we can't be together; I know she loves me and that's enough."


	15. Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl and Madeline make confessions.

Chapter Fifteen- Freedom

 

The next morning, Daryl dreaded getting out of bed. He knew he would have to talk to Madeline, and as much as he was ready to get everything straightened out, he knew that she wouldn't accept what he was going to tell her. Knowing that Krissy was gone had already zapped his motivation; he didn't want to get up or take a shower. He didn't want to go to the cafeteria for breakfast, or listen to Dale and Jim's insane ramblings. 

Daryl hadn't seen much of Madeline in the past couple of days, due to her helping Dr. Harrison with her project, and he was grateful. He didn't know how he would have reacted toward her if she had been around for his meltdown. 

After staring at the ceiling for twenty minutes, he got out of bed and got dressed; he didn't bother with his shower. He wanted everyone to know how upset he was over what had happened; maybe if he stank bad enough, everyone would leave him alone. He knew he would get over this eventually, just not today.

Daryl avoided breakfast completely and went straight outside to his bench. A million lines ran through his head as he tried to decide how to talk to Madeline and what to say. In the end, it wouldn't matter though; whatever he said would hurt her, and none of it would ever make Krissy his.

After three cigarettes and a lot of meaningless thoughts, Daryl went back into the building to find Madeline. He walked the hall by Dr. Harrison's office hoping she might be there. As he turned the corner he saw the doctor standing outside her door talking to a nurse, and slowly walked toward her.

He patiently waited for her to finish her conversation, then stepped up to the plate. "Dr. Harrison, is Madeline helping you today?"

"Yes she is. How are you doing today Daryl?" Andrea asked, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Nervous as fuck, but I got to talk to her. Doesn't matter how this ends for me; I gotta make things right with her."

"You're a good man for wanting to help her, and an even better man for not wanting to hurt her. You're a rare breed Daryl."

"I feel like an asshole, but I ain't a coward; at least not anymore. Do you think you could spare her for an hour or two?"

"Of course," Andrea said and smiled. "You two take as long as you need. If you need to talk to me afterward, just come by my office."

"Thanks Dr. Harrison."

Andrea went into her office and quickly returned with a smiling Madeline. "Alright, y'all spend some time together. Come back when your ready Madeline."

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Daryl waited to speak until they reached the trail; Madeline had been reaching for his hand since they left Andrea's office, but he had avoided it. He was psyching himself up for what was coming, and the less physical contact he had with her, the better. 

When they passed into the realm of the wooded trail, Daryl once again glanced at the tree, shaking his head to clear the memory of his time there with Madeline. As they continued to walk, he remembered the last time he had been there, with Krissy. Both memories were fighting to stay in his mind, but right now he didn't want either of them.

When he stopped walking, Madeline was right by his side; he couldn't look at her, but he spoke in a low whisper. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" she replied stepping in front of him. "I can tell something is bothering you. Tell me what it is; I can help you."

"You can't help me with this; it's all my fault and I just hope that you can forgive me. I never wanted to hurt you."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. Her tone of voice was escalating and she could feel anxiety shroud her.

"I don't know how to say this, but I'm not in love with you. I wanted to be; I wanted to fall in love with you, but I can't. I love Krissy."

Madeline didn't say a word; she turned away from Daryl and walked a few feet in front of him. She remained quiet, as if she was turning thoughts in her head, then turned back to face him.

"You're wrong, baby," she said calmly. "You love me. The way you touch me and kiss me; the way you made love to me. You. Love. Me. Not her. Why would you say that?"

Daryl shook his head. "I do love her. I'm sorry that I made you think I was in love with you. I shouldn't have let you kiss me, or kissed you back. I should never have let you crawl into my bed that night, but I was weak. I never thought anyone could love me, but you did, and I took advantage of that. I'm so, so sorry Madeline. Please forgive me."

Madeline's face became a portrait of rage. "I don't know what's more pathetic; the fact that you used me to forget about her, or that I wasn't good enough to make you forget. You're a pathetic coward, Daryl."

She was right, Daryl could admit that, and he felt every inch the pathetic piece of shit Madeline said he was.

"She doesn't love you, ya know. She can't; she won't. She is just manipulating you; I'm sure she's done it to her male patients before. She's a conniving bitch and she's just out to hurt you. I knew she had you under her spell; I knew that she seduced you and made you think she loved you. That's why I did it, baby; to protect you from her. I love you and I wasn't going to stand by and let her drag you down."

Daryl watched her rant; he let her vent her anger and rage; he deserved every vile word she used on him, and more. When she stopped yelling, he took one step closer. "What did you do Madeline?"

She started sobbing, and her legs were shaking. "I saw you here with her. I saw you kissing and touching her; the same way you kissed and touched me. I couldn't let you fall for her bullshit; I couldn't let her take you away from me. I told them I saw you and her having sex. I knew it would get her fired and that's what I wanted. I didn't want her anywhere near you."

Daryl took the next few steps toward her and took her in his arms. He whispered in her ear, shushing her and telling her that everything was gonna be alright, and convinced her to confess that what she had said was a lie. He knew what it felt like to realize what you thought was real, was not, so he held her and let her cry.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

They walked together, hand in hand to Dr. Harrison's office; their eyes were red and puffy from where they both had been crying. He knocked softly on the door and waited patiently for it to open. Andrea looked at them affectionately and invited them in.

"I need to speak to you alone," Madeline said. "Daryl doesn't need to be here for this. We've done enough to each other; he doesn't need to hear this again." Andrea looked at Daryl and he nodded his head; he would wait outside in the hallway for them and follow whatever instructions Dr. Harrison gave him at that point. 

As he sat on the floor outside the office, he wondered what would happen to Madeline after this; he wondered if Krissy would be offered her job back. He would still be a patient, but he was sure he wouldn't be her patient. She would probably be re-assigned to a different area of the hospital to keep them apart. 

After twenty minutes, Madeline and Dr. Harrison emerged from the office. "I have to talk to the administrator," Madeline told him. "I'm gonna tell him I lied and ask to be transferred to another hospital. I forgive you Daryl; can you forgive me too?"

He felt sorry for her, just as he had felt sorry for himself so long ago. "I forgive you, and when you feel you're ready, you should tell Krissy too."

Madeline only nodded her head and followed Andrea down the hall. He felt relieved that things had gone so well with Madeline; he had expected her to be more explosive toward him. She knew what was going on in her own mind, just as he had, and it had hurt him just as much to realize it was all a dream.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Two hours later, Daryl was in the rec room. He needed something to clear his mind so he played checkers with Dale and watched some soap opera on tv. He hadn't heard from Dr. Harrison regarding Madeline and what was going to happen, and it worried his mind. His thoughts kept going back and forth between her and Krissy, just as they had for the past few weeks. 

He was getting ancy waiting around to hear something, so he went outside to get some fresh air. He hadn't had a cigarette since before he talked to Madeline and was dying for one. It was almost lunch time and he was starving, so after he finished his smoke he went back inside to eat. 

Dr. Harrison had been trying to find him when they passed each other in the hallway on his way to the cafeteria. "I've been looking for you," she said. "Come have lunch with me; we need to talk."

He was anxious to hear what she had to tell him, but was patient and stayed quiet until they had their trays and sat down. "Madeline confessed to lying about what she saw. The administrator accepted her request for a transfer, but it will take at least a week to get her placed and have the transfer paperwork done. In the meantime, she is going to be moved to another level of the hospital; she's not to have any contact with you or any other male patients or staff. The same will be true at whatever hospital she goes to."

Daryl was glad to hear that she had fulfilled her promise to confess and that she would be taken care of. "She's gonna get good care though, wherever she goes?"

"Of course. We're looking for a facility that has a female only population. I think that men are not only a distraction for her, but a catalyst for her condition. Dr. Link and I will make sure wherever she goes, she will have the best care."

"Good," Daryl said. "I got lucky having you, Carol, and Krissy to take care of me. You've been with me since the very beginning, and I couldn't have asked for a better doctor than you. I wish Madeline would've had someone like you back when she first got sick."

"Sometimes it doesn't matter what doctor you have or what they can do for you. Wanting to get better is a great motivator, and sometimes that's all someone needs to re-wire their brain, but most times it isn't enough. I had a patient once who went through every psychotropic drug on the market and not one of them relieved her symptoms. The brain in the most important and complex organ in the body, no one can make it do what it doesn't want to."

"I hope something works for her; I want her to be happy." Daryl said. Although he was starving, he had barely touched his lunch. 

"You don't need to worry about her anymore; you can let it go now." Andrea said and took his hand in hers. "She's going to receive the best care she can, tailored to her needs; she just has to want it to work."

Daryl decided that he wasn't going to worry about Madeline anymore. Dr. Harrison had given him the re-assurance that he needed; there was only one thing on his mind now. "What about Krissy?"

“Dr. Link is going to talk to her later today, and offer her job back. I'm going to try to contact her this evening and find out what's going on. I need to talk to your brother as well; would you like to speak to him?"

"Yeah," Daryl said; the first sign of excitement in his voice for days.

"Okay then, I know you don't have anyone to walk with right now, so maybe you and I could take a walk together? I can call him on my cell and we'll have some privacy."

"Sounds great, Dr. Harrison. Um, do you think I might be able to talk to Krissy? I think she's still at Merle's house."

"That, I can't promise, but we'll see what happens."


	16. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl gets some very good news.

Chapter Sixteen- A New Home

 

Daryl had been elated to hear Krissy's voice. They had only been able to talk for a couple of minutes, but it was enough to sate him. They didn't talk about her job, or Madeline's confession. They said they loved and missed each other; she told him that she had dreamed about him the night before, and he told her that he needed to kiss her lips.

He had gone to sleep easily that night. Merle told him that he would be coming by the hospital to see him the next day and promised he would find a way for his brother and Krissy to be together. Daryl asked him how in the fuck he would accomplish that, and Merle, as only Merle could, told him not to worry his pretty little head about it.

Daryl woke up the next morning with a smile on his face. He was excited to see Merle, and was anxious to find out when Krissy would be returning to the hospital. His morning went well, just like it had in the beginning, when he and Krissy had first connected; he had breakfast with Noah, Jim, and Dale. The old man had an episode the day before and had inadvertently tried to elope again; thinking he and his wife were heading out to explore the states in their RV, he had made it all the way to the front security gate.

He walked the hidden trail alone that morning; a smile on his face and a sweet love song on his lips. Merle said he would be there in the afternoon and that he had a surprise for him. Daryl hoped that Merle was coming to tell him that he had found Krissy a place of her own and maybe bring her with him, so he could see her face again. 

After lunch he went back outside; it was almost time for his brother to arrive and he felt as if his nerves were frayed at the ends. He smoked three cigarettes in thirty minutes, and his heart jumped out of his chest when he heard Merle voice behind him, calling his name.

Daryl crushed his smoke and ran over, meeting him and Andrea before they reached the bench. Merle crushed him in a bear hug; lifting Daryl from the ground as if he weighed as much as a child. "Good to see you, baby brother. How you doing today?'

"Real good Merle, real good." The three of them walked to the bench and sat down. "Are our visits supervised now, Dr. Harrison?" Daryl asked.

"No, Daryl. Your brother and I have something very important to talk to you about," she answered him.

"Is this about Krissy?" Daryl asked her. "Is she not coming back?"

Just then, Merle and Andrea's attention was drawn toward the door they had come out of. Daryl followed their line of sight and saw the most beautiful thing in his world. She was wearing a turquoise tank, faded blue jeans, and her ever present Doc Martens; her long, red hair fell down her back and cascaded over her shoulders.

Daryl was frozen where he stood; he watched her walk down the steps and into his personal space. "Oh baby," he whispered before wrapping his arms around her. He was oblivious to everything else but her body against his. He held her as long as he could without running his hands over her entire body.

When he pulled away from her, he cupped her cheek. "I missed you so much; I love you."

Krissy closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "I missed you too, Daryl. I love you."

"Please tell me you're coming back; I can't stand not seeing you every day."

She opened her eyes and looked into his. "No Daryl; I'm not coming back."

He stepped away from her and sat on the bench. "Why?"

"Because if I did, we wouldn't be able to see each other; you know that. They would put me in another wing of the hospital and we would be separated, permanently. I couldn't live with being here every day, knowing that you're here and not be able to see you. I loved this job, for many reasons, but not being able to be your nurse is something that I couldn't handle."

She sat next to him as she spoke; holding his hand as his brother and Andrea stood by. "But the reason I didn't accept his offer is because I've already accepted another job."

"Where? I'll transfer, wherever it is. No one will ever have to know about what happened here." 

"You don't have to transfer to another hospital, Daryl." Merle said as he moved to sit on Daryl's other side. His brother turned at the sound of his voice.

"I'm really confused Merle; what the hell is going on?"

"Andrea and I have been talking; about you and Krissy, and what's been going on with you lately. I need to apologize to you baby brother; for everything you've been through and not being there for you, not supporting you when you needed me. I knew you needed help and I couldn't give it to you, but now I can."

"Goddammit!" Daryl yelled as he rose from the bench and turned to face the other three. "Just tell me what the fuck is going on."

Merle stood and walked to Daryl, a sly smile on his lips. "You're free baby brother; you're coming home with me."

Daryl stared at his brother like he had grown a second head. "What?"

"Daryl you have improved so much in the last two months. You're med compliant, you show up and participate in every session that's scheduled. You're social and everyone on the floor considers you a friend. We spoke to Dr. Link, and based on my notes, his interview with you, and your brother's testimony, he's agreed to release you under Merle's care. You'll still have to see me at least once a week and take your meds, but I think you can handle that." Andrea stepped up and put her arms around his neck.

"Is this real?" he whispered in her ear.

She pulled away from him. "You know it is Daryl. It's not a hallucination or a dream. You are free now, you get to be with your brother, and you and Krissy can see each other free and clear."

He glanced over at her, the woman who had brought him out of the fog and given him a new life. She was smiling at him, the sweet smile that he knew was only for him. Daryl let go of Dr. Harrison and strode over to where Krissy still sat on the bench. Pulling her up by her hand, he hugged her tight.

"I can't fucking believe this," he cried into her neck. "I can be with you? In real life?"

"Yes, we can be together. We can do whatever we want, whenever we want, for as long as we want. I'm always going to be with you, Daryl."

He lifted his head and kissed her softly; they could hear Merle and Andrea snickering behind them, but didn't care. They kept the kiss chaste considering where they were, and too soon, their lips parted. 

"When can we leave Merle? How long do I have to wait?" Daryl asked, never taking his eyes off Krissy.

"It depends. How long will it take you to pack your shit and sign your name? I've already got my end taken care of; papers signed and agreements made. The rest is on your timeline."

"Well don't blink," Daryl said, and turned around holding Krissy's hand, "because you ain't gonna have time before I'm in that damn truck waiting for ya to catch up."


	17. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catching up with Daryl, one month later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read, left kudos and comments, and bookmarked my little story. I love you all so much.  
> I have to admit, I'm not happy with this chapter. I don't think it's structurally sound. Please leave a comment telling me that I'm wrong. Haha!

Chapter Seventeen- Epilogue

 

The first week Daryl lived with Merle was weird, for both of them. Neither of them had lived together, or with anyone else for that matter, in twenty years or more. Sharing your space with another human being was an adjustment; even when you had spent the majority of your formative years with that person. 

Merle had to get used to having Daryl underfoot; it was almost as if Daryl was a wide-eyed kid following his big brother around because he was cool. He asked a lot of questions and wanted to know what was going on at all times. It drove Merle crazy, but at the end of the day, he was just glad to have his brother back.

Daryl almost went bat shit living with Merle; it wasn't Merle necessarily, but it was having to get use to a new schedule; Merle's schedule. He was up for work at six in the morning an out the door by seven. Daryl hadn't cooked for himself since he was a teenager, and didn't know how to use the fancy stove in the kitchen. He figured out how to use the microwave on his own, so Merle had filled the freezer with pizza and Hungry Man meals.

He had the house to himself during the day, and Merle had the deluxe cable package which included the movie and porn channels; there was even a channel that showed nothing but western movies. He was going to ask Krissy if she liked them; he wanted to invite her over for dinner and a movie.

The only time he left the house was to smoke or take a walk around the neighborhood. He walked the five blocks around and back to Merle's house at least once every day. He had convinced Merle to come with him one day when he was off from work and Merle had huffed and puffed it the whole way. He didn't understand how Daryl could smoke as much as he did, and still walk about a mile and a half every fucking day.

Merle had also taken Daryl to the used bookstore by the hospital. For as cheap as the paperbacks were, Merle still ended up spending about forty dollars on reading material. The only other thing Daryl did with his time was sleep. He didn't have Noah, Dale, or Jim to play games or talk with, and he became bored easily, so he spent much of the first week in bed.

After the first week, the brothers began to work as a cohesive unit. Daryl washed clothes and dishes, and did basic cleaning duties during the day when Merle was at work, and when Merle got home at night, he and Daryl would work together to make dinner. They were even planning a weekend hunting trip when Daryl felt ready for it.

On the first day of their second week together, Merle took Daryl out to the garage. Back in the far corner, hidden behind a lawn mower and covered by a dirty, brown tarp, was Merle's 1975 Triumph Bonneville. He hadn't ridden it in years and it had been collecting dust in a storage space for the past ten. When he moved into Abraham's old house, he decided to bring it with him.

Daryl was surprised the see bike; Merle had purchased it the year before Daryl’s life crumbled, and he had let Daryl sit on it and work on it, but never ride it. "Congratulations baby brother, you just got your first job."

"What?" he asked as he ghosted his hands over the dusty handlebars.

"I haven't ridden this bike in ten years, and as you can tell, she needs a bit of work. Could almost use a total rebuild, and that's your job. If you shine this baby up and get her to running, she's yours."

"You're gonna give me your Bonneville? I can't ride her Merle; you wouldn't teach me and I ain't never had a license anyway."

Merle walked up beside Daryl and put his arm around his brother's shoulder. "Tell you what; I'm buying a bike off a buddy I work with. You start working on Bonnie here and when I get the new one, I'll take you out when I get home from work and on my days off and teach ya. Then, by the time you got this one ready, you can go get your license."

"Are you shitting me?" Daryl asked incredulously as he looked Merle directly in the eyes.

"I shit you not brother. You need a set of wheels, a way to get around town, see your pretty girlfriend on her lunch break. Let me do this for ya Daryl. I want to start making up for all the shit I didn't do."

"You already have Merle, but I'll take your deal. I'll need to find out what parts I'm gonna need."

"You start on it tomorrow; take an inventory and we'll go to the shop. My buddy Martinez owns a repair shop; he told me he'd order whatever I need to fix her up."

Two days later, Merle came home with a brand-new bike in the bake of his truck; first thing he did was take Daryl for a drive around town and they stopped at Martinez’s shop. Daryl gave him a list of the parts he needed, and Martinez promised to call as soon as they came in.

For two weeks after that, Daryl spend his days in the garage working on the Bonneville, and in the evenings and weekends, Merle would take Daryl to the high school parking lot to teach him how to drive a motorcycle and quiz him on the information for the test.

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Daryl woke up before sunrise on the morning he was to take his driving test. He had been on the phone with Krissy the night before and she had calmed his nerves somewhat, but he still had some anxiety. He had to pass this test; there was so much riding on it. He had finished the Bonneville three days ago, but still wanted to trick it out a bit with a new paint job.

He had been watching the food network a lot and using Merle's computer to look up recipes, and planned on making a special breakfast for them in preparation for his big day. Daryl jumped out of bed and ran to the shower. He was dressed and in the kitchen before Merle's eyes opened, but soon the smell of coffee and bacon had Merle stirring behind his closed door.

"You know the damn DMV doesn't even open for another two hours." Merle bellowed as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

"I know that; I'm just excited, and nervous. Didn't sleep much, so I decided I might as well do something productive instead of stay in bed thinking about it."

"I can understand that little brother. What's on the menu this morning?" Merle sat at the table in his boxers dumping copious amounts of sugar in his coffee.

"Eggs Benedict with crispy bacon on the side." Daryl said proudly. "I always wanted to learn how to make it and I found a recipe online that seemed easy enough. Krissy took me to the grocery store a couple nights ago, and helped me get the ingredients."

"Well hot damn! I like your initiative. Starting big, aren't ya? You wanna be Emeril or some shit?"

"I really like cooking, Merle. It's a lot of fun, and I can experiment with shit. I've never enjoyed anything before, certainly never been good at anything. If I could do this for a living, I would."

"How 'bout I pay you to be my personal cook; breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Gourmet meals around the clock. I could get used to that. How about I put you on the payroll, brother? I buy the food and gas and you provide me with sustenance. Maybe we can go hunting next weekend? I haven't had a good venison stew in ages."

"I'd like that Merle, especially the hunting. I haven't been in over twenty years; I'd be a little rusty."

Merle smiled and got up to refill his coffee. "I'll set up some targets in the backyard. I got your old crossbow out in the garage somewhere."

Daryl took the newly filled cup out of Merle's hand and sat it on the counter. "I love you Merle," he said as he hugged his brother tight.

"I love you too Daryl. Now where's my damn breakfast."

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Two and a half hours later, Daryl came tearing out of the DMV with a smile so big it covered his whole face. Merle had stayed in the truck; his presence had made Daryl nervous, so he let him be and took a nap.

Merle shot up like a lightning bolt when Daryl banged on the window waving his driver's license in his face. "Woo hoo, baby brother," Merle said and stepped out of the truck. "I told you, you could do it! Let me take ya ta lunch and we can celebrate."

"Thanks Merle, but I was thinking. I'd kinda like to invite Krissy over for dinner tonight; just her and me. I want to make dinner for her. I need to call her and go to the grocery store."

"Alright; Rosita left some candles in the fridge and holders in the cabinet above the counter. You do this right, baby brother; take good care of her."

"I will Merle. You gonna go to the bar or something?" Daryl said as he walked over to where the Bonneville was parked. 

"Not tonight; I'm gonna find a date of my own. Maybe I can be as happy as you and your nurse."

"That'd be great Merle. I want you to be happy too; you deserve it." Daryl hugged Merle before he climbed on and started the engine.

Merle patted him on the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow Daryl. Have fun and don't get into trouble."

"I won't; I promise," Daryl said and sped off on his own.

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Daryl dialed Dr. Harrison's office number once he was in the grocery store parking lot. Maggie, her receptionist, answered the phone with her usual cheery voice.

"Dr. Andrea Harrison's office; how may I help you?"

"Hey Maggie, it's Daryl. How are you?"

"I'm doing just fine Daryl; how are you? Done anything exciting today?"

"Yeah, I kinda got my driver's license." Daryl was smiling like a fool on the other end of the phone.

"Ahhhhh! I knew you'd pass! Congratulations!"

"Thanks Maggie. Is Krissy available?"

"She's back in the sample med room doing inventory. Hold on a minute; I'll go get her."

A minute later, Krissy picked up the phone in the back room. "Hello, this is Krissy. How may I help you?"

"You can have dinner with me tonight, beautiful." Daryl said in a low, sexy voice.

"I don't know if my boyfriend would appreciate it if I had dinner with a complete stranger." Krissy said, and giggled.

"What if your boyfriend was the one who made dinner? Do you think he'd approve then?"

"Well now, if he's going to slave over a hot stove for me, I think I'll take the risk. Will he be picking me up himself, or sending a car?"

"Picking you up in style, woman. I hope you don't mind riding bitch on my bike." Daryl said. He loved playing this game with Krissy; being able to be free like this with someone made him feel alive.

"I don't mind being your bitch Mr. Dixon," she said playfully. "What's for dinner?"

"It's a surprise; something I found online and I watched the video. It looks really good."

"You're not gonna give me a hint?"

"There's pasta in it; that's all you need to know until tonight. I'll pick you up at five thirty. I love you."

"I love you too Daryl. I can't wait to see you."

"I can't wait either. I gotta go so I can buy all the shit I need for dinner. I'll see you later, baby."

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Daryl had a deep-dish skillet and a steaming pot going on the stove at the same time. He had chopped onion, carrot and garlic sautéing in the skillet and was chopping Portobello mushrooms to add to the mixture. When he had seen the picture of Chicken Bolognese with pasta, his mouth had watered; he wanted to try his hand at something elaborate and tonight was the perfect time to celebrate.

Once everything was put together, he put it in the oven to stay warm and took a shower; it was almost time to pick Krissy up from work, and he had picked out a nice black dress shirt, with sleeves, and a pair of brand new black jeans to wear to impress her. He knew he didn't need to, but he wanted to look good for her tonight.

He was going to splash some of Merle's cologne on before he left, but decided against it. He didn't want to repulse her by smelling like Merle. He took the extra helmet from Merle's closet, and set out to pick up his woman.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

 

Maggie was closing her computer down when Daryl walked in. He tried to come in as quietly as he could, but Maggie had super hearing. "Hey Daryl! How are you? You look really nice."

"Thank you, Maggie. Is Krissy almost ready?" Daryl asked shyly. It felt weird being there without an appointment.

"She's in Dr. Harrison's office getting ready; she should be out soon. What are your plans for the night?"

"I made dinner for us; been cooking almost all day. Then I thought we'd watch a movie or something. No big deal."

"Krissy's excited about it. She's very proud of you, ya know; so is Andrea." Maggie stood from her desk and grabbed her bag. "You two have fun Daryl." He was left alone in the waiting room when Maggie was gone. He had better plans than just dinner and a movie, but he wasn't about mention them; he was still a little unsure about the whole thing.

A couple of minutes later, he could hear Dr. Harrison and Krissy talking in the hallway. When they entered the lobby, Daryl's jaw dropped. Krissy was wearing a long sleeved black dress that came to her knees. Daryl stood at took her in his arms. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look amazing yourself. Andrea drove me back to my apartment at lunchtime so I could have something to change into."

"We're just going to my house; it's not that fancy." Daryl said. He couldn't take his eyes off her. The contrast of her tan skin against the black dress was mesmerizing.

"I thought we were celebrating the freedom of the open road. You did bring the bike, right?"

Daryl laughed. "Of course I did, but we should get going; I'm keeping dinner warm in the oven. Merle would have my ass if I burned down his house." 

"Nothing will burn, Daryl," Dr. Harrison said. "Now go. I have my own date to get ready for."

"It looks like everybody's got a date tonight. Merle said he was gonna find someone to take out too."

Andrea smiled slyly. "He did, and he'll be here in thirty minutes."

Daryl's mouth dropped open again. "Don't be shocked,” Andrea said. “Your brother can be very charming when he wants to be."

"I guess he can," Daryl said, and ushered Krissy out of the office and on to his house.

**************************************************************************************************************************************

Krissy poured them each a glass of wine while Daryl took dinner out of the oven; he had also mixed a salad and warmed up some breadsticks and placed them on the table as well. The last thing he did was light the candles sitting at the center of the table.

"It's all so beautiful Daryl, and the food looks delicious; not fancy, huh?" Krissy sat down at the table and Daryl scooted her chair in for her.

Daryl smiled as he sat across from her. "Not fancy, just special. I always want things to be special for us."

She reached across the table and took his hand. "Every minute with you is special. I'm very thankful to have met you. I never expected to have someone like you in my life."

Daryl blushed. "You brought me back from the dead, Krissy. I always believed that I didn't deserve someone like you; so kind and understanding. I never thought anyone could love me, and I'm gonna spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me."

There wasn't much dinner conversation after that; Krissy ate like she hadn't had food in days, and couldn't compliment Daryl and his talent enough. They snuck sweet kisses and brief touches as they moved around the kitchen cleaning up, and when everything was put away, they moved into the living room.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" she asked him as he sat on the couch. She stood in front of the bookcase which held Merle's DVD collection. "We could watch a scary movie and you could hold and protect me." She turned to him and winked.

He smiled at her; he was always in the mood to hold her and offer her perceived protection from the fictional monsters on the screen, but tonight he wanted more. "We can, if you want, but I was hoping we could talk. There's something I need to tell you."

A look of concern fell over her features and she went to the couch and snuggled next to him. "What's wrong, Daryl? Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened. I just want to talk to ya for a bit. I want to thank you for being so patient with me. Most couples would've . . .you know, by now. It's not that I don't want to; it's been hard for me to . . ."

"Stop Daryl. I understand; you don't have to explain anything to me. I understand that being with Madeline is still prominent in your mind. It's gotta be hard to get that out of your head."

"This has nothing to do with her. That didn't mean a thing to me. Having sex with her was mechanical; there was no feeling there. When I'm with you, and think about how much I love you it makes me think of Emily. She's the only other girl I ever loved; she and I, we loved each other and the last thing we ever did together was make love. I haven't loved anyone since her, until you. I guess it's the feeling, the emotion, ya know, that keeps holding me back. I can't lose you, and I guess it scares me a little."

Krissy sat up and straddled his lap. "You won't ever lose me. I don't care how much time you need; I'll give it to you. We do other things and those things make me happy. Hell, just knowing that we're free to hold hands and kiss whenever we want without repercussions is enough for me."

He caressed her cheek and shook his head. "It's not enough for me anymore; I can't wait. I love you too much to waist anymore time not making love to you every chance I get. I want you Krissy, forever; I want to be inside you and make love to you."

He brought their lips together slowly and ran his hands up and down her back, pushing her body into his. Her hands went around his neck and she anchored herself to him. When they broke apart, he looked at her with hope in his eyes.

"I want you too Daryl; forever." She brushed the hair out of his eyes and kissed him again, then stood and took his hand. "Why don't you escort me to the bedroom sir, and you can start making up for lost time."

Daryl stood up and took Krissy in his arms bridal style and walked down the hallway to his bedroom; the same one she had stayed in after Merle rescued her. When the door was closed behind them, he sat her on her feet and ran his fingers through her hair; gripping tightly he took her mouth with passion and walked her backwards to the bed. 

His hands went to her thighs and he pushed the dress up her legs until he reached her plump ass. His mouth moved to her neck and he licked the spot below her ear. She moaned loudly and he smiled against her skin. He had worried that he was so out of practice that it wouldn't be good for her, but apparently, he was wrong.

His lips moved down her throat to her shoulders and chest. He touched her breasts through the black material and she ground her core against his growing erection; then it was his turn to moan. He rubbed his hands over her ass and against the silky materiel covering it. Moving them around to the front, he dipped a finger beneath the waistband of her panties and felt her wetness.

"Oh fuck," he moaned. "You're so wet, Krissy." He began stroking her clit and moved his finger down to her opening, but hesitated to go any further. 

"It's okay Daryl; you can touch me there. I want you to; I need it so bad." He growled and took her lips again; pressing his finger inside her warmth, she gasped. 

"I can't believe how wet you are baby; so warm and so tight. I can't wait to feel you around my cock." Both of them were breathing heavily as he pumped his finger in and out of her. Daryl suddenly removed his finger, and brought it to his mouth and sucked on it.

"You're sweeter than honey. I want to taste you; I want to make you cum with my mouth." He said breathlessly.

She shivered in his arms and moaned. Daryl went to his knees and ran his hands up her thighs and under her dress. He pulled her panties down slowly, and she stepped out of them, then he lifted her dress up and kissed his way up her thighs. Lifting her left leg, he rested her foot on his shoulder.

Krissy looked down at him and saw him looking back. His eyes were soft and childlike, and he smirked at her playfully before licking her from entrance to tip. She almost fell backwards, but quickly grabbed the bedpost to steady herself. Daryl took long licks with the flat of his tongue and moved it in circles when he reached her nub.

Krissy gasped when he took her clit into his mouth and sucked gently; reaching out, she ran her fingers through his hair. "Oh God, Daryl! Fuck, that's so good." He hummed around her and inserted two fingers inside her pussy. Her head fell back, and she screamed when she came; he licked and sucked her until her knees gave out. He stood up and caught her in his arms. 

He kissed her hard, and she clung to him. He pulled her dress up and over her head, leaving her in a very sexy, black lace bra. He palmed her breasts as he continued to kiss the living hell out of her. He brushed his thumbs across her nipples and felt moaned when the hard nubs tightened under his touch. 

His mouth moved to her neck, the area below her ear specifically, and she moaned softly. Reaching around her body, he unhooked her bra and slid the straps down her arms; leaving a trail of wet kisses across her shoulders. Daryl was hard as granite, and lost for this woman. He laid her on the bed, and standing above her, he shucked off his clothes and climbed onto the bed between her spread legs.

He just looked at her, for what seemed like forever, and got lost in her eyes. His hair hung down from his face and she pushed it behind his ear. "I love you Daryl," she said dreamily. He rested his forehead on her stomach and sighed. 

"There aren't words, Krissy, to tell you how much I love you." He said as he placed a chaste kiss against her skin.

Wrapping her legs tightly around his waist, she pulled him closer to her. "Then show me." 

Daryl sat back on his knees and nudged her lips with the head of his cock. Krissy moaned with anticipation, and as he began to push himself inside her, leaned down against her body and kissed her lips. 

He slid inside her so slowly that it was torture. Daryl closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, because if he lost his focus, he was gonna lose his load. He kissed her skin as he pushed through; her moans and sighs making him harder and more desperate to cum. By the time he was balls deep inside her, both of them were drenched in sweat and panting.

With his head buried in her hair and his lips on her neck, he began to move. He tried to go slow; he wanted to last and make this good for her, but he knew no matter what his strategy, he would be cumming before he intended. 

They moved together; she was moaning and her body moving sensually underneath him. His hands were everywhere he could get them, and the feeling of her nails running down his back was making his hips stutter. "Krissy," he whispered, "I've never felt anything as good as you. So tight, so warm, so fucking perfect. I love you so fucking much."

"I've never felt this full." Krissy's breath was hitched, and she could barely speak. "I want to cum again. Fuck me Daryl; fuck me hard."

He did as she asked and moved his stuttering hips faster. Sitting up, he reached between them and rubbed her engorged clit. Her body began to shake and she cried out his name as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. 

Daryl felt her walls pulsate around him, then clamp down on his dick, and he roared as he came hard inside her. He kept thrusting until he was finished and looked down at her. Her hair was a mess. Most was stuck to her face with sweat, and tangled around her arms; her face glowed like an angel.

His arms were shaking, and he was afraid he would collapse and crush her, so he slipped out and laid beside her on the bed. Still breathing heavily and waiting for their heart rates to slow, he pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "I never thought I would be grateful for all the shit I've been through, but you have made every painful moment worth it."

Krissy sat up on her elbow and placed her hand on Daryl's chest. "We're supposed to be together, Daryl. I have no doubt about that. Everything that has happened to us, everything we've ever done has led us to this, and I wouldn't change one minute of it if it meant we would never have met."

He brought her lips down to his and kissed her sweetly. "I don't want to think about the past; the only thing that matters is now. You and me, here in my bed." He kissed her again. "Naked." He kissed her again. "And kissing."

She smiled into his kisses and giggled. "You're never gonna get me out of this bed, Daryl Dixon."

"Good, because I'm never letting you go.”

 

 

The End


End file.
